HZMB private vehicle quota to increase

The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge’s regular quota for private cars in Hong Kong and Macau will be increased in stages, adding some 544 units to the quota. The director of Transport Affairs Bureau, Kelvin Lam Hin Sang, explained that the authorities received a total of 8,881 applications during the lottery draw this year. The quota was only 2,109.

Only 200 to 300 vehicles from Macau travel to Hong Kong every day, and the utilization rate is not high, according to Lam.

After a regular plenary of Transport Advisory Committee Friday, Lam said that the Hong Kong International Airport transit bus service Macau line will shortly be put into trial operation.

Passengers from the two places can take transit buses between the Hong Kong International Airport and the Macau Port of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge.

Lam was confident that Macau is ready for the service. A one-stop check-in service will be available once the service kicks off. For the time being, Lam’s bureau has permitted 13 buses to run between Macau and the Hong Kong airport.

He believes the operators are still undergoing some procedures in Hong Kong to launch the service.

The trial operation time in the first month is from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., with a frequency of about one per hour. After the trial operation, the service time will be adjusted to 6 a.m to midnight.

In addition, as of August 20, the average daily passenger load of buses in Macau was 610,000, which is close to pre-pandemic levels, Lam said. Staff Reporter