ENG-2008 — Page 312

248 Transport

Cross-boundary Traffic

Overall Cross-boundary Traffic

Cross-boundary vehicular traffic increased by 0.6 per cent in 2008 over the previous year, averaging 42 000 vehicles a day whereas the total cross-boundary passenger traffic by rail, road and ferry increased by about 2.4 per cent, reaching 526 500 passengers a day.

Rail Services to Lo Wu and Lok Ma Chau

Lo Wu, one of the two rail boundary crossings into the Mainland, operates between 6.30 am and midnight every day. It handled an average of 244 400 passengers daily during the year, and more than 358 200 on festive days.

The second rail boundary crossing into the Mainland is the extension of the MTR East Rail Line to Lok Ma Chau. Having commenced operation on August 15, 2007, the crossing operates between 6.30 am and 10.30 pm daily. Passengers can reach this crossing either by rail or local public transport. In 2008, the crossing at the Lok Ma Chau Spur Line handled an average of about 29 100 passengers daily, and more than 46 500 on festive days, plus a daily average of about 21 500 passengers who arrived at the crossing by public transport.

Road Crossings

There are four road crossings between Hong Kong and the Mainland: Lok Ma Chau, Man Kam To, Sha Tau Kok and Shenzhen Bay. The Lok Ma Chau crossing operates round-the-clock for goods and passenger vehicle traffic. The Man Kam To and Sha Tau Kok crossings are opened daily to goods and passenger vehicle traffic from 7 am to 10 pm and from 7 am to 8 pm respectively. The Shenzhen Bay Port commenced operation on July 1, 2007 and is opened daily to goods and passenger vehicle traffic from 6.30 am to midnight.

The daily average number of vehicle trips recorded at Lok Ma Chau, Man Kam To, Sha Tau Kok and Shenzhen Bay crossings during the year were 27 900, 5 800, 2 400 and 5 900 respectively.

The daily average numbers of cross-boundary travellers who used the Lok Ma Chau, Man Kam To, Sha Tau Kok and Shenzhen Bay crossings were 103 600, 5 500, 6 500 and 34 200 respectively. These travellers crossed the boundary mainly by coach, while travellers crossing the boundary via the Lok Ma Chau and Shenzhen Bay crossings may also choose to take the shuttle buses that ply between Huanggang in Shenzhen and the Public Transport Interchange at San Tin, or the local public transport services to the Public Transport Interchange at the Hong Kong Port Area of the Shenzhen Bay Port respectively.

In 2008, about 78 900 passengers took the cross-boundary coaches provided by some 100 companies, while 33 000 and 18 200 passengers took the shuttle buses at Lok Ma Chau and the local public transports to Shenzhen Bay Port each day respectively.