'Northbound travel for Hong Kong vehicles' scheme launched
At 00:09am on July 1, a Hong Kong car with the license plate number LL7999 successfully passed inspection and entered Zhuhai, becoming the first single-plate car from Hong Kong to enter Guangdong.
The "northbound travel for Hong Kong vehicles" scheme was officially launched on Saturday, marking a crucial step toward stronger connectivity and integrated development within the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area (GBA).
John Lee, chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region , said Saturday the launch means that Hong Kong people can drive to the mainland for sightseeing, and visiting families and businesses freely, drawing people from both sides closer together.
The scheme allows eligible Hong Kong private cars to travel between Hong Kong and south China's Guangdong Province via the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge without the need to obtain regular quotas.
Lam Sai-hung, secretary for transport and logistics of the HKSAR government, said at a launch ceremony that the scheme is an important measure for the integration of the GBA and has been very popular since it opened for application on June 1, with over 4,000 applications received as of late June.
As of 10am on Saturday, more than 40 Hong Kong vehicles had already traveled northward via the bridge.
