Chen Meibao: Will steadily promote the "Guangdong vehicles heading south" policy and strive to implement it in November of this year.

On October 17, the Secretary for Transport and Logistics of Hong Kong, Chen Meibao, made the opening remarks at the Legislative Council's Transport Panel on the "Guangdong Vehicles Southbound" initiative, stating that four strategies, including ensuring safety, effective diversion, comprehensive supporting facilities, and simplified application procedures, will be used to steadily implement the "Guangdong Vehicles Southbound" initiative. In terms of safety, the Hong Kong government will distribute "lazy packs" and short videos on different themes to Mainland applicants through various channels, introducing information on Hong Kong roads and driving safety. The Hong Kong Transport Department has also commissioned Hong Kong agencies to set up vehicle inspection centers in convenient locations in Guangdong for Guangdong vehicles to undergo inspections. In terms of diversion, the border parking lots will first utilize transfer parking lots, providing about 1800 parking spaces, with 24-hour automated parking and shuttle services to and from the airport. The entry into the urban area will be carried out in a steady and controllable manner, starting with a small-scale daily quota of 100 reservations, allowing each Guangdong vehicle to stay in Hong Kong for up to three days. The authorities will review and discuss with Guangdong continuously to orderly increase the daily quota for trips in the future. Hong Kong will also distribute tourist parking guides for "Guangdong Vehicles Southbound" through various channels, guiding travelers to cultural, sports, tourism, exhibition, and shopping locations in all districts of Hong Kong, introducing nearby parking locations. They also encourage travelers to park and transfer to Hong Kong's public transport, which is highly popular among travelers and has a unique Hong Kong style. The suggested itineraries in the guide will gradually increase based on experience and changing attractions, including cultural, tourism, exhibition points, or how to transfer to other public transport after parking near parking lots or hotel facilities, maximizing the use of the efficient public transport system, bringing some new travel experiences, and of course, attracting them to stay and consume in Hong Kong, hoping that the "Guangdong Vehicles Southbound" initiative will have this appeal. In terms of supporting facilities, the authorities have been encouraging major developers and private parking operators to discuss and enhance the parking facilities at their parking lots, including supporting payment tools from the Mainland, providing national standard charging facilities, and providing contactless gate entry equipment. At the same time, the authorities are adding rapid charging facilities complying with both national and European standards at the border parking lots and the adjacent bridge border points of Lantau Island. Regarding applications, currently, "Hong Kong Vehicles Northbound" require drivers to be linked, with each applicant being able to designate no more than two drivers for their private car, one of whom is the applicant, to drive between Hong Kong and Guangdong Province. When discussing the details of the "Guangdong Vehicles Southbound" application with Guangdong, similar arrangements will be covered, and the relevant transportation and enforcement departments in Guangdong and Hong Kong will continue to discuss to ensure convenience for future enforcement and appropriate operational arrangements. Chen Meibao also mentioned that the preparations for the "Guangdong Vehicles Southbound" initiative are in the final stage, and after further confirming details with Guangdong, they aim to implement it in November this year. Regarding the vehicle parking at the airport border parking lot and the entry into the urban area, they aim to start accepting applications by November. The authorities also expect the airport border parking lot to start accepting reservations and operation in November. As for Guangdong vehicles entering the urban area, they hope to have relevant vehicles visiting Hong Kong by the end of this year.