The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government today announced that the prescribed daily one-way number of people who can pass through the designated boundary control points (BCPs) from January 18 to 21 will be increased under the first-phase resumption of normal travel between Hong Kong and the Mainland.

It explained that the adjustment, which aims to address people's keen demand for travelling between the two places via relevant BCPs prior to Chinese New Year, was made after deliberation and co-ordination with the Guangdong Provincial Government and the Shenzhen Municipal Government as well as scrutiny of the booking and operation arrangements related to the land BCPs and the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HZMB).

During January 18 to 21, the daily one-way number of people who can travel to Hong Kong or the Mainland via the three designated land BCPs will be increased from 50,000 to 65,000, of which 15,000 are for Shenzhen Bay Control Point, 5,000 for Man Kam To Control Point and 45,000 for Lok Ma Chau Spur Line/Futian Control Point.

The daily one-way number of drivers and passengers of private cars and cross-boundary hire car services who can pass through the HZMB will also be increased from 1,000 to 2,000 for the same period.

For other days under the first-phase resumption of normal travel between the two sides, the prescribed daily one-way number of people who can pass through the relevant BCPs will remain unchanged.

The Hong Kong SAR Government pointed out that the BCPs have been operating well and people have been travelling between Hong Kong and the Mainland smoothly since normal travel between the two places resumed on January 8.

It noticed that Hong Kong people's demand for travelling to the Mainland via land BCPs prior to Chinese New Year is relatively keen as compared with other days.

The time slots of January 18 to 21 have almost been fully booked, while the remaining days of the eight-week period ahead come with generally sufficient time slots for booking to cater for people's travelling needs as observed so far.

As per the prevailing booking arrangements, Hong Kong residents and foreign visitors to Hong Kong must successfully make bookings on the Hong Kong SAR Government's online booking system before they travel to the Mainland from Hong Kong via the designated BCPs during January 18 to 21.

Similarly, Mainland residents are required to successfully make bookings on the Shenzhen Municipal Government's online booking system before they travel to Hong Kong from the Mainland.

Mainland residents returning to the Mainland as well as Hong Kong residents and foreign visitors coming back to Hong Kong from the Mainland do not need to make any booking.