Hengqin ‘fully prepared’ for 24h border

The Hengqin New Area Management Committee is “fully prepared” for the 24-hour border crossing between Macau and Zhuhai at the Lotus Bridge Cotai Frontier Post, which will commence operations from midnight and the early hours of Dec 18. According to the Committee director Niu Jing, a joint inspection will be carried out to ensure all equipment and facilities are ready before December 15.
On the sidelines of the China Reform Forum held in Hengqin on Friday, journalists asked the director if Macau’s motorcycles would be able to enter Hengqin.   Mr Niu replied that the first round of public opinion regarding the matter has already been collected.
“We still need some time to study the future developments of Hengqin. The road and traffic conditions are still limited at this stage, so we need some time to study whether we have enough conditions to allow Macau licensed motorcycles to enter and park freely in the area,” the director said, cited by TDM.
Niu Jing further revealed that his Committee has obtained the Central Government’s permission to reclaim 27.9 square kilometers in Hengqin but has yet to disclose its purpose.
Zhuhai’s city mayor He Ning Ka also commented on the Hengqin development, stating that the construction of over 60 projects there will be streamlined. The cost of the project amounts to over 250 billion yuan. During Friday’s forum, the mayor pointed out that the Hengqin economy is expected to surge over the next five years. He added that the island has been transformed from a “small fishermen’s village to a modern seaside city” and noted that, as previously announced, an area has been set up to support economic diversification for Macau. PB