Transport 249
A trial scheme for taxis and green minibuses to operate at the Lok Ma Chau Control Point between midnight and 6.30 am was introduced in March 2003. During those hours, northbound passengers may take taxis and green minibuses to the control point directly and then cross the boundary by shuttle buses, while southbound passengers may board taxis and green minibuses at the control point after immigration clearance. The starting time of the trial scheme was advanced from midnight to 11 pm in January 2005.
New Boundary Crossings under Construction or Planning
To meet the continuous growth in cross-boundary traffic, new road and rail crossings have been planned in co-ordination with the Mainland authorities.
The proposed Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HZMB) will link Hong Kong direct with the Pearl River West. The governments of Guangdong Province, Hong Kong and Macao are pursuing actively the project. Guangdong Province submitted the feasibility study report for the Central Government's consideration in December. Investigation and preliminary design are being conducted respectively for the design of the Hong Kong Link Road and Hong Kong Boundary Crossing Facilities with a view to synchronizing their commission with that of the HZMB Main Bridge.
The Northern Link will connect Kam Sheung Road Station on the West Rail Line to the boundary crossing point at Lok Ma Chau. Together with the Lok Ma Chau Spur Line of the East Rail Line, the Northern Link will form a strategic corridor connecting the West Rail and the East Rail Lines in the northern New Territories.
The Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link will reduce the rail travel time between Guangzhou and Hong Kong. It will also link Hong Kong with Beijing and other major Mainland cities via the Beijing-Guangzhou Passenger Line and the Hangzhou-Fuzhou-Shenzhen Passenger Line. It will also connect Hong Kong to cities in the Pan-Pearl River Delta via the Rapid Transit System now under development in the Mainland. Planning and design for the project are proceeding under a tight programme with the construction expected to commence in 2009.
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government and the Shenzhen Municipal People's Government completed in 2008 the joint preliminary study of the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Airport Rail Link. The Hong Kong International Airport ranks among the busiest international airports in the world in terms of passenger and cargo traffic, while the Shenzhen Airport handles far more domestic flights than Hong Kong. The rail connection, supplemented by efficient passenger and baggage handling arrangements, will be very convenient to passengers transiting between the two airports. Further study on the key enabling operational issues will be conducted in 2009.
The proposed Liantang/Heung Yuen Wai Boundary Control Point (BCP), by connecting with the Eastern Corridor in Shenzhen will provide efficient access to the eastern part of Guangdong, Fujian and Jiangxi Provinces via the Shenzhen-Huizhou and Shenzhen-Shantou Expressways. This will significantly shorten the distance between Hong Kong and Shenzhen and the nearby provinces and greatly facilitate future regional co-operation and development. It will also help redistribute the
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