The "northbound travel for Hong Kong vehicles" policy has reached its one-year anniversary, with data from the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Border Inspection Station showing significant milestones. Since its implementation on July 1st, 2023, until 4:00PM on June 30th, 2024, the number of vehicles traveling northbound through the inspection station has surpassed 950,000 trips. More than 82,000 drivers and over 67,000 vehicles have completed border inspection registration.

Self-driving northbound has become one of the most popular cross-boundary travel methods for Hong Kong residents. According to statistics from the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Border Inspection Station, the monthly growth rate of "northbound travel for Hong Kong vehicles" through the Zhuhai road port has exceeded 33.8% since the policy's implementation. Particularly since the beginning of this year, the monthly average number of northbound vehicles has reached 113,000 trips, 16 times the number in the first month of the policy, and continues to show a monthly increase. Currently, single-plate vehicles from Hong Kong account for 33% of the daily passenger vehicle clearance at the port.

"With the'northbound travel for Hong Kong vehicles' initiative, traveling to the Chinese mainlandhas become more time-efficient and convenient, offering great value for money. The experience is quite pleasant. Previously, we would usually choose to travel to nearby countries like Japan, South Korea, or Southeast Asian countries during summer vacations. Now, my family is more interested in heading north to explore different cities in the Greater Bay Area," said Mr. Chen, a driver of a Hong Kong single-plate car. Recently,he took his family to Guangzhou to watch a dragon boat race, and now they are planning to visit Qingyuan in northern Guangdong for some rafting and to escape the summer heat.

Driving north via the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge for tourism, leisure, and shopping has become a popular trend among Hong Kong residents. This phenomenon is particularly noticeable on weekends and holidays. According to border control statistics, the average daily traffic of single-plate cars from Hong Kong on weekends and holidays has reached 6,600 vehicles, accounting for over 42% of the total passenger car traffic at the port. On April 6th, the highest single-day traffic reached 8,840 vehicles, setting a new record since the policy was implemented.

The trend of "northbound travel for Hong Kong vehicles" not only provides convenience for the leisure and entertainment of Hong Kong residents but also creates more opportunities for young people in Hong Kong to start businesses and find employment. For instance, earlier this year, Chen Guoshen, a Hong Kong youth, established a media company in Zhuhai, which primarily handles the promotion of cultural and tourism information from the Greater Bay Area to Hong Kong. "The Chinese mainland businesses now place more emphasis on promotions towards Hong Kong, and Hong Kong residents are more interested in information about the Greater Bay Area. To create promotional products themed around 'northbound travel for Hong Kong vehicles,' we personally drive single-plate cars to various places to experience and promote products, which has received very positive feedback. More businesses are contacting us for cooperation," he said.

The trend of "northbound travel for Hong Kong vehicles" has made travel between Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao more convenient, significantly promoting the integrated development of the Greater Bay Area. Since the beginning of this year, passenger and vehicle traffic through the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge has continued to grow rapidly, with the number of passengers exceeding 12.5 million, up 113% year-on-year. The vehicle traffic has exceeded 2.5 million, up 102% year-on-year. Among them, the number of Hong Kong passengers has surpassed 5.15 million, a year-on-year increase of 185%, accounting for over 40% of the total port passenger traffic.

Source: Yangcheng Evening News

“港车北上”一周年，通关车辆突破95万辆次

港珠澳大桥边检站数据显示，自2023年7月1日“港车北上”政策正式实施以来，截至6月30日16时，经该站查验的出入境“港车北上”数量已突破95万辆次，完成“港车北上”边检备案的驾驶员已超过8.2万人次，车辆已超过6.7万辆次。

自驾“北上”已成为当前香港居民入出内地最热门的跨境方式之一。据港珠澳大桥边检站统计，自政策实施以来，经珠海公路口岸通行的“港车北上”月均增速超过33.8%。尤其今年以来，“港车北上”数量月均达到11.3万辆次，是政策实施首月的16倍，保持逐月递增趋势。目前，香港单牌车已成为口岸通关车辆的主要种类，通关量占口岸每日客车通关总量的33%。

“有了‘港车北上’后，去内地旅游省时省力，消费性价比又高，体验很不错。以前暑假一般都会选择去日韩或者东南亚周边国家旅游，现在一家人更想‘北上’，去大湾区不同城市转转。”香港单牌车司机陈先生前不久带着家人到广州观看龙舟比赛，现在他们又准备到粤北城市清远去漂流避暑。

香港居民驾车经港珠澳大桥“北上”旅游观光、休闲消费已成为潮流。尤其周末假期，口岸“北上热”现象更为明显。据边检部门统计，今年周末及节假日期间，香港单牌车日均通行量达到6600辆次，占口岸客车总量比例超过42%。其中4月6日，单日最高通行量达到8840辆次，刷新政策实施以来的历史最高纪录。

“港车北上”不仅为香港居民悠闲娱乐提供便利条件，也为香港年轻人创业就业创造更多机遇。香港青年陈国燊今年年初在珠海成立了一家传媒公司，主要承接湾区文旅资讯对港推介业务。“现在内地商家更重视对港方向宣传，香港居民对湾区资讯也更加关注。我们以‘港车北上’为主题打造宣传产品，自己开着单牌车到各地亲自体验、宣传推介，反响很不错，找我们合作联系的商家越来越多。”

“港车北上”令香港居民往来粤港两地更加方便，有力促进了粤港澳大湾区“车畅、人兴、财旺”融合发展态势。今年以来，经港珠澳大桥出入境客流、车流持续快速增长，经口岸出入境客流已超过1250万人次，同比增长113%；出入境车流已超过250万辆次，同比增长102%。其中，出入境香港旅客超过515万人次，比去年同期增长185%，占口岸客流总量超过四成。

文丨记者 李旭 通讯员 王相国
图丨受访者提供
翻译丨刘佳慧