With cross-border travel likely to surge over Lunar New Year, the authorities cannot afford another setback that left thousands of mainland visitors stranded after watching the New Year’s Eve fireworks. Moves to extend operating hours at border checkpoints and strengthen transport services during the holiday period are a positive step in an attempt to avert further chaos. Hopefully, travellers will savour a more enjoyable experience.

Announcing the news, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu expressed gratitude towards the leaders of Shenzhen and Guangdong province. “The process has been very smooth and we reached a consensus in a short period of time,” Lee said. “It also shows that Hong Kong and Shenzhen are working together closely, sharing the same goals, and value the experience and feelings of residents and tourists.” It is good that authorities on both sides have learned their lesson. Officials should have foreseen problems when tens of thousands of day trippers sought to return to the mainland in the early hours after the New Year’s Eve pyrotechnics. Online images showed a land crossing overwhelmed with people heading north after midnight. A city railway station was also swarmed with passengers waiting to cross the border.

2 Hong Kong crossings to extend hours for holiday as 7.5 million trips expected

The Shenzhen Bay checkpoint will be open 24 hours for a five-day period from February 9 to 13. The Lo Wu control point, which connects to the East Rail line, will remain open until 2am on February 9 and 11, the latter date coinciding with the Lunar New Year fireworks. The pressure on transport and border crossings is expected to be less this time because the harbour event will be staged in the evening rather than at midnight.

But officials are right not to take it for granted. The enhanced bus and train schedules during the holiday period are needed to cope with an expected surge in demand. According to the government, the city has a daily capacity of handling up to 80,000 passengers between 9pm to 1am, which is more than enough when compared to the outflow of some 26,000 travellers on New Year’s Day.

That said, there is no room for complacency. That is why the government is adopting so-called baseline thinking and not leaving anything to chance. This includes setting up a cross-departmental committee monitoring real-time situations and preparing for higher level coordination during the holiday period.

Travel convenience inevitably encourages more day trips in both directions, which may further impact Hong Kong’s economic recovery. But, as officials hope, the series of celebrations over the holiday may also attract more visitors. No matter how long they stay, the city must strive to make their visits smooth and enjoyable.

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7tK%2FMqWWcp51ksLC5zJ6lrWefpbavtc6nZpqqpJ6wrbGObGltcWZrfXCv0aiqrGWSpL%2BlsdFmpKiulah6o77Ip55mrKKWw6a4jJyfnp2iYrm2usCrZKedp2LGpq3R