Good News: Guangdong Residents Can Soon Drive to Hong Kong

In a development bound to excite many, residents of Guangdong will soon have the option to drive to Hong Kong, scheduled to roll out early next year. 

Currently, the most common means of travel from Guangdong to Hong Kong involve buses, high-speed rail, ferries, and even the subway.

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The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government has recently revealed that the 'Guangdong Private Cars Coming to Hong Kong' trial scheme is under consideration. 

This scheme is set to commence via the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge (HZMB) and will initially involve parking vehicles on the artificial island at HZMB in the first phase.

Parking on the artificial island at HZMB. Image via Shenzhen Daily

The 'Guangdong Private Cars Coming to Hong Kong' scheme is likely to be executed in two phases:

• The first phase will begin once the construction of a large automated parking facility on the artificial island of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge is completed. This parking area will be made available for Guangdong tourists traveling southward.

• In the second phase, the Chinese mainland residents who operate vehicles that carry a Guangdong plate will have the option to drive to Hong Kong. However, details regarding the full implementation of this phase are yet to be finalized.

Secretary for Transport and Logistics, Lam Sai-hung, stated that during the first phase of the scheme, vehicles from Guangdong would not be permitted to enter urban roads, which intends to minimize any potential impact on local traffic.

Concerning the second phase, which would allow Guangdong residents to drive freely into Hong Kong, authorities will make this decision after careful consideration of factors such as the region's limited geographical area, its substantial population, and differences in driving habits.

Are you planning to drive to Hong Kong once the new scheme is in place? We welcome your thoughts and opinions. For the latest updates on the Greater Bay Area, please follow our WeChat official account, ThatsGBA.

[Cover image via The Standard HK]