28th May 2023 – (Hong Kong) Starting Monday, drivers seeking to travel between Hong Kong and Guangdong via the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge will have their spots determined by a ballot system. Car owners interested in utilising the bridge on 1st July can register for the ballot beginning tomorrow, 29th May. The daily quota for vehicle inspections has been raised to 700 due to increased demand.
On 1st June, applications for the “northbound travel for Hong Kong vehicles” program will open, but participants must first register for the online computer balloting. The initial round of ballot registration will take place on 29th and 30th May, with the results announced on Wednesday.
Following a 9 am start on Thursday, successful applicants will be able to submit applications for the scheme during their designated date and time slots, which are randomly allocated by the computer system.
Lam Sai-hung, Secretary for Transport and Logistics, revealed that after discussions with mainland authorities, the China Inspection Company in Yuen Long—the sole designated vehicle examination site for the program—has increased its daily vehicle examination quota to 700. Authorities will maintain close communication with their mainland counterparts, adjusting the quota based on public feedback, the application process, and private car inspections.
To accommodate the increased demand, the inspection company has extended its operating hours to 8 pm on weekdays and will remain open on weekends. The Hong Kong Automobile Association has called on the government to allow more local vehicles to enter Guangdong through the cross-border bridge, given that mainland China has expanded its capacity for required inspections.
The association is urging authorities on both sides of the border to simplify the application process as much as possible, warning that complex procedures could undermine the scheme. In a Facebook post, Lam announced that the China Inspection Company has increased its daily inspection quota to 700 vehicles, up from the previous 300.
The company has also expanded its service hours from 8am to 6pm, Monday through Friday, to 8am to 8pm, now including Saturday and Sunday. However, Lam noted that during the first week, authorities will only process 200 applications per day, increasing to 300 daily in the second week to ensure a smooth launch.
The Hong Kong government will maintain close contact with mainland authorities to develop additional measures that facilitate the cross-border driving program. The Northbound Travel for Hong Kong Vehicles scheme allows qualifying private cars to travel between Hong Kong and Guangdong via the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge.