Locals may soon be able to cross border between midnight and 7 a.m.

Zhuhai authorities have told Macau Daily that they will strive to finish the expansion of the border crossing channels at the Zhuhai-Macau Cross Border Industrial Zone before mid-December.
Although the authorities stated that they are yet to make the decision on which groups will be allowed to cross the border through the Industrial Zone checkpoint, it is likely that Macau residents, non-
resident workers (TNRs), mainland tourists and students may soon be able to cross the border between midnight and 7 a.m.
Currently, the Industrial Zone checkpoint only caters to the employees of enterprises inside the Zone. People also need to share the channel with vehicles. Although there are already a total of four border-crossing channels for people travelling to and from the Zone, they have never been put into use.
The expansion will add at least six automated passenger clearance channels in both directions, as well as a manual clearance channel. It is expected that, after the expansion, the Industrial Zone checkpoint will be capable of handling around 12,000 people between midnight and 7 a.m.
While it has been suggested that the Industrial Zone checkpoint could be opened round-the-clock to all the groups other than Industrial Zone employees, Zhuhai authorities said that the capacity of the checkpoint is very limited, due to its size. In order to avoid accidents and congestion, they were inclined to open it to others only after midnight.
The Zhuhai authorities also revealed that they have engaged in closed-door meetings with TNRs from the mainland, students, as well as representatives of the Macau and Zhuhai tourism industries. The majority of these groups have suggested that both Macau and Zhuhai have to improve transportation from and to the checkpoint and ensure the safety of the public.
They have also started recruiting more personnel to handle the extra workload brought by the extended opening hours.
While the mainland and Macau authorities have been keenly preparing for the after-midnight border crossing, some residents living near the Macau side of the checkpoint were dissatisfied with the Macau government’s lack of consultation.
They are worried that the measure will affect the security of their neighborhood. They also questioned whether the area can handle the amount of foreseen passengers trying to cross the border at nighttime. JPL