A ceremony for the maiden voyage of southbound yachts from Guangdong was held today, marking the scheme's official implementation.

Attending the cereomony were Acting Financial Secretary Michael Wong, Secretary for Transport & Logistics Mable Chan, Director of Marine Wong Sai-fat, and Director-General of the Economic Affairs Department of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Xu Weigang.

In a speech, Michael Wong stressed that Hong Kong is developing into a regional yachting hub. He remarked that the global yacht market has continued to grow in recent years, with the luxury yacht market in particular experiencing significant expansion.

He added that the market value of the superyacht industry is projected to reach approximately $350 billion by 2032, and that Hong Kong has the capability to secure a share of this market.

Outlining that the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government is implementing various measures to promote the yacht economy, he also mentioned that The Festival of Connoisseurs, an international exhibition focusing on superyachts and premium lifestyles, will be held in the city in early November.

He stated that the Government is fully committed to promoting the construction of four new yacht clubs at the airport, Lamma Island, Aberdeen, and Hung Hom. These projects will provide more than 1,100 berths and four highly attractive new clubhouse facilities, significantly enhancing Hong Kong's yachting infrastructure and ecosystem.

Following the launch of northbound travel for Hong Kong yachts in June, and the signing of work arrangements between Guangdong and Hong Kong in September to establish an institutionalised mechanism for cross-boundary individual yacht travel, southbound travel from Guangdong is the latest building block to be put in place by the two governments. It allows yacht owners in Guangdong to handle cross-boundary procedures more conveniently, thereby promoting greater connectivity in cross-boundary navigation networks and the marine leisure industry.

Under the framework for southbound travel, all Guangdong-registered yachts that have an offshore navigation range of up to 20 nautical miles and a wave resistance capability of not less than 2 metres can apply to visit Hong Kong. Yacht owners and masters intending to travel southbound can complete procedures online, in advance, provided that they have undertaken Chinese Mainland departure inspection formalities at any of six designated control points.

The facilitation measures launched by the Marine Department in June also apply to overseas yachts. These include enhancing the Electronic Business System to allow one-stop online completion of arrival and port formalities; setting up designated anchorage areas and relaxing the requirements for booking yacht club berths prior to arrival in Hong Kong; and authorising Mainland China institutions to conduct the Hong Kong Waters Local Knowledge Examination and provide training for yacht masters before arrival.

Owners and masters of visiting yachts can apply through the Electronic Business System for "Permission to Navigate in Hong Kong Waters", and book an anchoring location, as early as 30 days before arrival.

The Marine Department has authorised two Mainland examination centres to conduct the Hong Kong Waters Local Knowledge Examination and approved seven Mainland training institutions to offer recognised training courses. The department has received an enthusiastic response, with nearly 300 people already obtaining the relevant qualification.

The department will also recognise online short-term training courses organised by local professional training and examination institutions to allow visiting yacht masters to obtain the qualification to navigate in Hong Kong waters while overseas.

The Development Bureau today published in the Government Gazette eight items of subsidiary legislation setting out implementation details for the new property title registration system, due to be launched in the first half of 2027. 

The legislation also aligns certain practices under the existing deeds registration system with the new title registration system, which will apply to new land. 

The bureau has proposed four new items of subsidiary legislation under the Land Titles Ordinance (LTO), and amendments to four existing items of subsidiary legislation under the Land Registration Ordinance, the High Court Ordinance and the District Court Ordinance.

The bureau explained that “new land" refers to land held under a government lease granted on or after the date on which the amended LTO comes into operation. Generally speaking, land granted on or after the date concerned by way of land sale, private treaty grant or land exchange, will be included.

The implementation of the title registration system for new land will provide certainty in land ownership and simplify property transfer procedures. This includes eliminating the need to verify documents to confirm titles during property transactions and the requirement to keep title deeds for many years.

This will benefit the public and the business community, while bringing Hong Kong’s land registration system in line with other jurisdictions, the bureau said.

The eight items of subsidiary legislation will be tabled at the Legislative Council on October 21 for negative vetting.

Following the discovery of serious deficiencies in lift replacement works by Taizoom Elevator Company (HK) in two estates, the Electrical & Mechanical Services Department (EMSD) will inspect all lifts installed by the same company across the city within three days.

In response to recent allegations of non-compliance, the EMSD conducted unannounced inspections on Taizoom’s lift works, revealing serious deficiencies in two Tenants Purchase Scheme (TPS) estates, involving nine lifts in Tsui Ping (North) Estate in Kwun Tong and 39 lifts in Pok Hong Estate in Shatin.

The lift replacements in Tsui Ping (North) Estate were completed between February and July, while those in Pok Hong Estate were carried out between May 2025 and July this year.

Although a fire resistance rating certificate was submitted, it was found that while the fire-resistant doors were installed as required, the corresponding door frame components were missing, despite the lift works being claimed as complete.

The EMSD noted that although the absence of door frame components in the lifts constitutes non-compliance, the lifts can still operate safely.

The department has instructed Taizoom to review the lifts at both estates, install the outstanding door frame components promptly, and bear all associated costs for the remedial measures. The repair works are expected to be completed within a month.

The EMSD said it will proactively contact the property management companies of both estates to provide necessary assistance. While the lifts will have to be suspended from operation during the installation of new door frames, the works will be scheduled during non-peak hours as far as possible, with each lift expected to take around one to two days to complete.

As preliminary evidence indicates that Taizoom is suspected of serious negligence or misconduct in carrying out lift works, the EMSD will take enforcement and regulatory action in accordance with the Lifts & Escalators Ordinance.

The citywide inspection of all lifts installed by Taizoom will involve re-examining the fire resistance rating certificates of fire-resistant doorsets and their frame components, alongside checks for missing door frame components.

Separately, the EMSD has commenced inspections of lift engineering works undertaken by other registered lift contractors, with no similar breaches found so far.

As the owner of the unsold units in both estates, the Housing Authority (HA) stated that it is highly concerned about the incident, adding that it is maintaining close contact with the EMSD to pursue Taizoom’s legal liabilities.

Among all TPS estates, only the lift replacement works in the two estates were undertaken by Taizoom. For another TPS estate, Fu Heng Estate, which is currently preparing for lift replacement, the contract has not yet been awarded.

The HA said that it has advised the Incorporated Owners of Fu Heng Estate to suspend awarding the contract, and will provide full support, including advising on follow-up arrangements, to safeguard the interests and safety of all residents.

The Government will put a site in Shek Mun, Shatin out for tender for private residential development, Secretary for Development Bernadette Linn said today.

The tender was announced as part of the land sale programme for the third-quarter of 2026-27, and will run from this month until December.

The site is located at the junction of Tai Chung Kiu Road and On Sum Street. It has a floor space of around 48,090 sq m and can provide around 960 flats.

Ms Linn explained that the site is situated in a mature residential neighbourhood. Close to MTR Shek Mun Station, it has comprehensive surrounding infrastructure.

Originally zoned for commercial use, the site has received planning approval from the Town Planning Board for private residential development. Any approved developer will be requited to set aside some floor space to provide a public car park.

Other sources of private housing in this quarter’s land programme include the Urban Renewal Authority’s To Kwa Wan Road project, which is estimated to provide around 1,050 flats.

As for private development and redevelopment projects, seven are expected to complete lease modification or land exchange procedures in the third quarter, providing a total supply of around 1,835 flats. Ms Linn said this demonstrates developers’ optimistic market outlook.

Taking all sources of land supply into account, the total private housing land supply in the third quarter of this financial year will support the development of around 3,845 units.

Ms Linn said: “Together with the supply from the first two quarters of this financial year, the total private housing land supply in the first three quarters of this financial year is expected to support some 15,680 units, which has already exceeded our annual target of private housing supply, ie 12,600 units.”

Ms Linn said the Government will nevertheless continue to roll out land to the market.

She explained: “Firstly, the annual supply target is not a rigid indicator; the Government has all along evaluated the pace and trend of market supply in its totality from a macro perspective.

“Secondly, some development projects co-ordinated by the Government, e.g. the Northern Metropolis, railway property development and urban renewal projects, have their own specific timeframes in meeting the Government’s policy needs and the holistic development of their respective areas.

“Thirdly, with the generally positive market sentiment, there is sufficient demand and capacity for developers to take on mature urban land. The Government will continue to assess the circumstances and roll out land flexibly according to policy needs and market conditions."

In addition, the Development Bureau plans to put up for tender a Siu Lek Yuen site in Shatin for student hostel development this quarter. It is estimated the project will provide around 600 beds.

Ms Linn remarked that the site is near MTR City One Station and MTR Shek Mun Station, as well as post-secondary educational institutions.

The Lands Department announced today that it registered 12 lease modifications, two land exchanges and one lot extension in the Land Registry during the quarter ending September, generating a total land premium of approximately $2.934 billion.

Among the 15 registered transactions, two were technical changes involving no premium.

Five are located on Hong Kong Island, seven are in Kowloon and three are in the New Territories.

Another seven lots were granted by private treaty during the period.

One was granted to the government-owned Hung Shui Kiu Industry Park Company Limited for the development of an industry park, two were granted to the Housing Authority for public housing developments, and the remaining four were located in the Loop, Shek O, Yuen Long and Hung Hom.

The Lands Department today posted the first batch of resumption notices and acquisition notices for the development of the Ngau Tam Mei New Development Area (NTM NDA).

Under the Lands Resumption Ordinance, a total of 1,043 private lots, covering an area of about 62 hectares, will be resumed for the project.

In addition, government land occupied by 23 graves and 22 urns, and covering an area of about 450 sq m, as well as land occupied by 27 fishponds, totalling 2,700 sq m, will be acquired under the Land Acquisition (Possessory Title) Ordinance.

All of the land will officially revert to the Government on January 16.

The department will post notices in areas concerned about three months before the departure deadlines for affected parties. It estimates that those affected will need to move out starting from the second quarter of 2027 at the earliest.

The NTM NDA represents the fifth NDA development to be launched within the Northern Metropolis. It will be developed alongside the San Tin Technopole as part of the San Tin University Town under an integrated town-planning concept.

The campus area in the NTM NDA is about 52 hectares. This includes an area of about five hectares reserved for the construction of Hong Kong's third medical school.

Site formation and infrastructure works for the NTM NDA are scheduled to commence in the first half of next year. “Spade-ready sites” will be available progressively starting from the end of 2028.

The Lands Department today posted land resumption notices for about 16.9 hectares of private land for development projects at San Hing Road and Hong Po Road in Tuen Mun. Land acquisition notices were also posted for around 143 sq m of government land currently occupied by eight graves and two urns.

The developments feature public housing projects and supporting infrastructure works, which will deliver approximately 20,400 public housing units.

The affected areas comprise 320 private lots, and the land will officially revert to the Government on January 16, 2027. The Government is actively working to process compensation and rehousing arrangements for affected land owners, households and businesses.

The Government today announced that the Central Kowloon Bypass will be fully commissioned on December 6, and an $8 toll will take effect on the same date.

The Legislative Council approved the $8 toll arrangement  in 2025 for all vehicles using the Central Kowloon Bypass. The Secretary for Transport & Logistics has made the Road Tunnels (Government) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulation 2025 (Commencement) Notice to specify that the relevant toll provisions will come into operation from December 6, 2026.

The commencement notice will be published in the Gazette on October 16 and tabled at the LegCo for negative vetting on October 21.

The Central Kowloon Bypass comprises the already commissioned its Yau Ma Tei Section, and the Kowloon Bay Section, which is scheduled for commissioning on December 6.

Together with the Tseung Kwan O-Lam Tin Tunnel, it forms Route 6, linking Tseung Kwan O, Kowloon East and Kowloon West.

Upon the commissioning of Route 6, the journey time between Tseung Kwan O and Yau Ma Tei during peak hours is expected to be substantially reduced from about 65 minutes to about 12 minutes, bringing considerable convenience to the public.

The Transport & Logistics Bureau said that after duly considering public affordability, the toll for the Central Kowloon Bypass has been set at $8. It is expected to recover part of the operating costs while achieving the intended traffic diversion effect, thereby alleviating traffic on major roads in Kowloon.

The Government has been actively launching publicity campaigns to help the public fully grasp the toll arrangement, with a view to ensuring the smooth rollout.

The opening ceremony of the redeveloped Huanggang Port was held today at the Huanggang Port Mainland Port Area, with the facility set to officially open at 6.30am tomorrow.

Chief Executive John Lee officiated at the ceremony alongside Director of the Guangdong Provincial People’s Congress Standing Committee Huang Chuping; CPC Guangdong Provincial Committee Standing Committee Member and CPC Shenzhen Municipal Committee Secretary Jin Lei; CPC Shenzhen Municipal Committee Deputy Secretary and Mayor of the Shenzhen Municipal Government Li Yun; Deputy Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Luo Yonggang; Director General of the Guangdong Sub-Administration of the General Administration of Customs of the People’s Republic of China Zhang Geping; Director of Bureau III of CPC Central Committee’s Hong Kong & Macao Work Office and State Council’s Hong Kong & Macao Affairs Office Zou Jinsong; and Deputy Director of the Department of Border Security Check of the National Immigration Administration Mo Haiying.

The redevelopment of the port signifies the proactive alignment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government with national development strategies, fulfilling goals to strengthen regional infrastructure connectivity under the National 15th Five-Year Plan. Hong Kong’s First Five-Year Plan, announced last month, explicitly set out to leverage the strengths of the redeveloped port by implementing a co-location arrangement and adopting a novel “collaborative inspection and joint clearance” mode.

The official opening marks a major milestone for Hong Kong and Shenzhen in enhancing the layout of boundary control points, improving clearance efficiency, and facilitating the cross-boundary flow of people. Speaking at the ceremony, Mr Lee described the project as a landmark undertaking built upon a close partnership and concerted efforts between Hong Kong and Shenzhen for shared benefits.

Mr Lee added that the official opening reflects a new height for connectivity within the Greater Bay Area, demonstrating “hard connectivity” in infrastructure, “soft connectivity” of rules and mechanisms, and a “connectivity of hearts” between the residents of the Mainland and Hong Kong. Positioned as the most important 24-hour passenger land boundary control point between the two cities, the redeveloped port has a design capacity of 200,000 passenger trips per day.

This capacity could further increase to about 300,000 trips daily upon the future commissioning of the MTR Corporation’s Northern Link Spur Line. Backed by the central authorities, the site implements a co-location arrangement with clearly delineated Hong Kong and Mainland port areas.

It is also the first land boundary control point between Hong Kong and Shenzhen to adopt the “collaborative inspection and joint clearance” mode, which significantly enhances the passenger experience. Under this new mechanism, clearance times will be significantly reduced from around 30 minutes at the original Lok Ma Chau/Huanggang Port to approximately five minutes.

Since the establishment of the Huanggang Port Hong Kong Port Area on July 31, the Hong Kong SAR Government has been pressing ahead at full steam with various preparatory tasks. Having confirmed operational readiness, Hong Kong and Shenzhen issued a joint statement on October 9, announcing that the port will officially open at 6.30am on October 12 to provide 24-hour clearance services for passengers and passenger vehicles.

Hong Kong SAR Government officials attending today’s ceremony included Chief Secretary Chan Kwok-ki, Financial Secretary Paul Chan, Secretary for Justice Paul Lam, Secretary for Security Tang Ping-keung, Secretary for Health Prof Lo Chung-mau, Secretary for Development Bernadette Linn, Secretary for Transport & Logistics Mable Chan, Secretary for Constitutional & Mainland Affairs Janice Tse, Commissioner of Police Chow Yat-ming, Director of Immigration Benson Kwok, Commissioner of Customs & Excise Chan Tsz-tat, and Director of the Chief Executive’s Office Carol Yip.

The redeveloped Huanggang Port is set to open soon, offering a comprehensive and convenient transport network to cater to daily commuters, weekend travellers and family visitors alike. As a vital 24-hour land crossing between Hong Kong and Shenzhen, the port features robust transport connections to and from its Hong Kong Port Area.

To facilitate passenger flows, seven franchised bus routes will operate at the facility, comprising six daytime services and one overnight route. In addition, green minibuses will run three daytime and three overnight routes, ensuring round-the-clock accessibility.

For direct cross-boundary travel, passengers can choose from five short-haul cross-boundary bus routes, alongside other long-haul services. Travellers who prefer a private, direct journey can also take advantage of urban, New Territories or fleet taxis straight to the port.

With seamless public transport connections linking different districts across Hong Kong Island, Kowloon and the New Territories, the redeveloped port is poised to become a popular boundary-crossing choice.

Visit the Transport Department's website for more details.

Members of the Autonomous Vehicle Applications Promotion Working Group today visited an autonomous vehicle (AV) trial in Tung Chung, North Lantau.

They received a briefing by the pilot proprietor on the trial’s progress before taking the AVs in batches to tour the Tung Chung Town Centre vicinity. Group members were pleased to note the stable, safe and smooth performance of the vehicles throughout the journey.

The Transport Department said that this is the working group’s first on-site visit to an AV trial. It noted that the visit helps members, comprising autonomous driving researchers, information technology professionals, and other experts and stakeholders, engage directly with the pilot proprietor.

The department encourages the proprietor to optimise technologies based on feedback from passengers in test rides. This continuous refinement aims to deliver a convenient travel experience genuinely felt by the public.

The redeveloped Huanggang Port features a “collaborative inspection and joint clearance” mode to significantly enhance cross-boundary clearance efficiency. To use the port’s new automated channels, eligible Hong Kong residents and visitors must first complete a one-time enrolment.

Hong Kong residents can register remotely via the Immigration Department’s HK e-Channel mobile app using iAM Smart for identity verification. Alternatively, they can enrol on-site at a Huanggang Port self-service kiosk, an enrolment office or directly at an automated channel while completing clearance procedures.

Mainland visitors can register on-site at an e-Channel enrolment office or directly at the self-service channels. Once enrolled, travellers can clear both Hong Kong and Shenzhen checkpoints simultaneously at a single automated channel by either scanning their travel documents or using facial recognition.

Eligible Hong Kong residents and Mainland visitors aged 14 or above can activate the facial recognition clearance service when signing up to use the collaborative inspection channels. However, they must still carry their valid travel documents at all times.

Regarding vehicle clearance, the Customs & Excise Department has introduced a “joint one-stop” system where departing vehicles undergo an initial customs risk assessment before entering newly designed three-gate vehicle lanes. Both the driver and the vehicle must meet the eligibility requirements for cross-boundary travel between the ports in Guangdong and Hong Kong.

These lanes are equipped with “integrated information collection devices” that simultaneously conduct body temperature checks, document scans and biometric data collection. Vehicle drivers only need to present a single identity document to complete the “five-party inspection” and secure a one-stop release.

The Government today outlined the comprehensive arrangements for the opening of the new Huanggang Port, which is scheduled to commence operation at 6.30am on October 12.

Immigration clearance services at the port will start from 6.30am on that day. Prior to this switchover time, all passengers must continue to use the Lok Ma Chau Control Point to travel between Hong Kong and Shenzhen.

The Immigration Department (ImmD) will ensure that all passengers arriving at the Lok Ma Chau Control Point or the temporary port building of the Huanggang Port in Shenzhen before 6.30am will be able to complete their immigration clearance procedures.

The ImmD appealed to eligible Hong Kong residents to enrol for the new “collaborative inspection” automated channels in advance via the “HK e-Channel” mobile application.

To closely monitor operations and ensure timely response measures, the ImmD will set up a joint command centre with relevant departments, including the Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF), the Customs & Excise Department (C&ED) and the Transport Department (TD). It will also maintain close liaison with Mainland authorities, including the Shenzhen General Station of Exit & Entry Frontier Inspection.

Meanwhile, the C&ED reminded travellers that a “passenger-vehicle separation” arrangement will be implemented at the new Huanggang Port. Under this measure, general passengers in cross-boundary private vehicles must disembark at the drop-off area, carrying their personal luggage and belongings to the immigration clearance hall to undergo clearance procedures.

Outbound vehicles will first pass through the “customs front kiosk” for risk assessment, and vehicles requiring further inspection must proceed to the designated examination area.

The HKPF said it will implement crowd management measures, regulate traffic flow and facilitate on-site media activities to ensure public safety and smooth port operations. On the night of the switchover, the HKPF will set up a Joint Operation Centre at the new port to monitor the crowd and traffic movements in real time.

Officers will also be deployed to the Lok Ma Chau Control Point and the San Tin Public Transport Interchange (PTI) to manage crowds, as members of the public and bus enthusiasts are expected to gather to catch the first and last bus departures or photograph the old facilities before they cease operations.

Regarding public transport arrangements, the TD announced that the final northbound Lok Ma Chau-Huanggang cross-boundary shuttle bus, commonly known as the Yellow Bus, to the original Huanggang Port will depart from San Tin PTI between 6.15am and 6.20am on October 12. The final southbound Yellow Bus from the original port will depart only after all cross-boundary travellers who entered the original port before 6.30am have completed clearance and boarded.

For the five short-haul cross-boundary coach routes, the last northbound departures from urban areas to the original port will take place between 5.15am and 5.45am on October 12. The final southbound departures from the original port back to urban areas will be between 6.15am and 6.30am that morning.

For the opening, five franchised bus and three green minibus daytime routes will begin operating to the new Huanggang Port, with the earliest departures from their urban termini starting from 4.45am.

The new Huanggang Port will soon be open. The nine-storey Huanggang Port Building features an interior design dominated by warm tones, with high ceilings that create a more spacious feel.

Inspired by Shenzhen’s city flower, the petal-shaped ceiling and expansive side windows maximise natural illumination. The design conserves energy while creating a soothing, welcoming atmosphere.

Floor-to-ceiling windows on the fourth floor offer a panoramic vantage point overlooking both Shenzhen and Hong Kong.

The multi-storey facility houses the arrival hall on the fourth floor and the departure hall on the fifth floor. It is equipped with 134 automated channels and 68 traditional manual counters.

The building also offers a range of passenger-friendly amenities, including a free government Wi-Fi service, baby care rooms and water dispensers.

The Government has entered into a market agreement with 45 insurers to extend the coverage of mandatory motor and employees' compensation insurance policies to the Huanggang Port Hong Kong Port Area (HKPA), backdated to July 31.

The official opening of the Huanggang Port is scheduled for Monday.

The Financial Services & the Treasury Bureau has signed market agreement with individual insurers, expanding the geographical scope of the mandatory motor and employees' compensation insurance policies to cover the HKPA without incurring any extra cost to policyholders.

The bureau said its collaboration with the Insurance Authority (IA) and the insurance industry eliminates potential public confusion prior to the opening of the HKPA.

It added that the arrangement is beneficial in ensuring policyholders' continuous compliance with the mandatory insurance requirements while minimising the administrative burden on stakeholders.

The Huanggang Port Hong Kong Port Area Ordinance came into operation on July 31.

As private contracts, insurance policies were not automatically extended to cover the HKPA upon commencement of the ordinance. The Government therefore took the initiative to negotiate with the insurance industry and AI to extend policy coverage, similar to the arrangements made in 2007 in relation to the Shenzhen Bay Port Hong Kong Port Area.

Click here for the details of the market agreement and the list of insurers.

Three pieces of government land in Kwun Tong, Tuen Mun and Yuen Long will be let by way of short-term tenancy through tender to eligible brownfield operators, the Lands Department announced today.

From now until November 9, brownfield operators affected by the land resumption and clearance exercises scheduled within or before the fourth quarter of 2029 under relevant government development projects may submit their tenders.

The sites to be let are suitable for open storage, godowns, workshops, recovery and recycling or reprocessing businesses.

Brownfield operators that were invited to participate in a short-term tenancy through previous relevant tenders two or more times after the completion of clearance exercises for relevant government development projects are excluded from this tender, the department added.

The Huanggang Port will officially open and commence operations at 6.30am on October 12, following an agreement between the Guangdong and Hong Kong governments.

The Security Bureau and the Office of Port of Entry & Exit of the Shenzhen Municipal People's Government jointly issued a notice on the port opening today.

Acceptance inspections of the new port building have been completed. Following the completion of a series of system tests, trials and emergency drills by both Hong Kong and Shenzhen, it has been confirmed that the port is ready for opening.

The facility will commence operation on October 12, providing 24-hour clearance services for passengers and passenger vehicles. At the same time, passenger clearance services between the temporary port building of the Huanggang Port in Shenzhen and the Lok Ma Chau Control Point in Hong Kong will be suspended.

Pursuant to the “Official Reply of the State Council concerning the Agreement on the Commissioning of the Huanggang Port Hong Kong Port Area & Related Extended Areas”, the Huanggang Port Hong Kong Port Area & Related Extended Areas were commissioned beginning at 00:00 hours on July 31, 2026, and are subject to the jurisdiction of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in accordance with its laws.

The official opening date was determined by the governments of Guangdong and Hong Kong.

The Transport Department today announced traffic and transport arrangements ahead of the redeveloped Huanggang Port coming into operation to provide 24-hour services, to ensure smooth travel for the public and visitors.

The Huanggang Port will be served by seven franchised bus routes, six green minibus routes, and five short-haul cross-boundary coach routes operating round the clock, carrying passengers directly to various districts across the city.

Among them, the franchised bus routes will pass through nine MTR stations and four bus-bus interchanges, providing convenient interchanges with railways or buses to different districts.

The department urged cross-boundary travellers to pay attention to the daytime and overnight service hours of various routes, and choose suitable ones for travelling to and from the new port.

It has also arranged dedicated public transport lanes leading directly to San Sham Road from Fanling Highway and San Tin Highway for use by franchised buses, green minibuses and cross-boundary coaches to the new port, bypassing San Tin Interchange and thereby enhancing the efficiency of travelling to and from the port.

In addition, the department and the public transport operators will closely monitor passenger demand and step up or adjust services as necessary. 

As for taxis, drivers of vacant urban and New Territories taxis as well as pre-booked fleet taxis must first obtain a queue ticket at the public transport buffer area, and then proceed to their respective taxi stands or the designated taxi fleet pick-up area at the port's public transport interchange to pick up passengers in order.

Passengers who have pre-booked a fleet taxi should first register at the service station by showing the vehicle registration mark to the fleet taxi ambassadors. The ambassadors will dynamically deploy taxis waiting at the public transport buffer area to the dedicated pick-up area to ensure passengers can board quickly and smoothly.

As traffic near the Huanggang Port may be relatively busy during its initial stage of commissioning, the department urged members of the public to use other land and rail boundary control points based on their needs for travelling between Shenzhen and Hong Kong, and not to rush to the new port.

Cross-boundary travellers who need to use the Huanggang Port should plan their journeys in advance and allow sufficient time to adapt to the new arrangements, the department added.

The tender for a site at Fat Kwong Street, Ho Man Tin has been awarded on a 50-year land grant at a premium of $4,308,288,000, the Lands Department announced today.

Kowloon Inland Lot No. 11301 was awarded to Asia Insight Investments, a subsidiary of Kerry Properties.

Designated for private residential purposes, the lot has a site area of about 5,170 sq m, with a minimum gross floor area of 11,580 sq m and a maximum gross floor area of 19,300 sq m.

These figures exclude the gross floor area of stipulated government accommodations, namely a neighbourhood elderly centre sub-base and a mental wellness community centre sub-based. Both are to be constructed by the purchaser under the conditions of sale.

The Housing Bureau today reminded Wang Fuk Court owners who have indicated an intention to sell their flat titles to the Government to complete execution of an Agreement for Sale & Purchase (ASP) on or before the October 15 deadline.

The reminder applies to owners of units at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po who returned a signed Letter of Acceptance on or before August 31.

If owners are unable to sign an ASP in time due to special circumstances – such as being unable to clarify their flat title or requiring a longer time to handle probate matters – the Government will consider making alternative arrangements on a case-by-case basis. Owners concerned will be informed before the deadline.

Flat selection for the Special Sales Exercise (SSE) for Wang Fuk Court owners began on September 29. Applicants who have signed an ASP are being invited to participate in the flat selection process.

The bureau has been issuing invitation letters in batches according to the priority sequence determined by the computer-generated random ballot. Applicants will attend flat selection sessions, as specified in the letters.

The entire flat selection process is expected to be completed by the end of November.

The bureau said that owners who have not yet signed an ASP due to special circumstances can still participate in flat selection as long as they complete execution of an ASP before the end of the flat selection period.

If their titles have not yet been assigned to the Government, a new flat under the SSE will be reserved for the owners concerned during the flat selection stage.

The Housing Authority or the Housing Society will enter into an ASP or a Preliminary ASP with owners only after the assignment of Wang Fuk Court flat titles to the Government.

An Engagement Team co-ordinated by the bureau is stepping up contact with owners who have not yet signed an ASP to provide assistance.

Owners can direct inquiries to their designated Engagement Team member, call the hotline at 2129 8133, or visit the Wang Fuk Court long-term housing plan website.