The Immigration Department said today that it estimates around 11 million passengers will pass through Hong Kong's sea, land and air control points during the upcoming Easter and Ching Ming festive period from March 28 to April 7.

The estimate was made in consultation with the Shenzhen General Station of Exit & Entry Frontier Inspection. The two parties believe that around 9.5 million passengers will transit through land boundary control points.

The number of outbound and inbound passengers using land boundary control points will be higher, relatively, on March 29 and April 1, with around 601,000 and 589,000 passengers anticipated on those days respectively.

Passenger traffic at the Lo Wu Control Point is expected to reach a daily average of about 207,000 passengers. Meanwhile, the Lok Ma Chau Spur Line Control Point and the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Control Point can expect around 169,000 and 143,000 passengers respectively.

To cope with the anticipated numbers, the department has minimised leave for frontline officers for the flexible deployment and operation of extra clearance counters and kiosks. Additional security guards will also be deployed to provide crowd management support.

Furthermore, the department will set up a joint command centre at the Lo Wu Control Point, together with Police, Customs and the Mass Transit Railway Corporation, to closely monitor passenger traffic, and will also establish close communication with the relevant Mainland authorities. Appropriate traffic diversion plans will be adopted when necessary to ensure smooth passenger traffic flows.

Travellers are advised to plan in advance and avoid making their journeys during busy times.

They can check the expected busy times at boundary control points on the department's website and find the estimated waiting times at all land boundary control points via its app.