All ticketing services for the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge shuttle bus have been moved online “due to Covid-19 containment needs”, the shuttle bus operator has announced.
Commonly referred to as the Golden Bus, the cross- boundary shuttle bus is currently the only means of transport between the two Special Administrative Regions (SARs) of Macau and Hong Kong. The other two routes that it operates are between Hong Kong and Zhuhai, and Macau and Zhuhai.
Passengers who want to take the bus must book via the operator’s public account on WeChat – the Chinese social media and instant messaging app, which has its own payment gateway, WeChat Pay.
Users must link their credit or debit card to the payment gateway in order to make payment to people or companies. It means that passengers who want to take the bus must pay for their tickets directly via WeChat.
If a passenger does not have the app or the associated payment function, they must either not take the bus or ask a friend who has WeChat Pay to settle the bill on their behalf.
After purchase, a QR code will be sent to the passenger’s WeChat account, which is used for boarding.
The operator currently runs 12 daily buses on each of the routes between the two SARs, as well as between Hong Kong and Zhuhai. Masks must be worn for the entirety of the journey.
Previously, tickets could be purchased from ticketing counters or self-service kiosks at border checkpoints. With the new policy in place, the bus operator has suspended ticketing windows at border checkpoints. The Times learned that self- service kiosks are suspended as well.
In the early stage of the Covid-19 outbreak, Hong Kong shut down all ferry terminals handling ferries from Macau. The helicopter service between both cities was also suspended, as it lands at the Macau Ferry Terminal in Sheung Wan, Hong Kong.
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