According to the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the "Guangdong Vehicles Southbound" policy officially took effect at the Zhuhai Port of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge at midnight on November 15th, marking a significant step forward in the interconnectivity of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area. Under the new policy, eligible private cars from Guangdong can, for the first time, directly enter Hong Kong via the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge, further facilitating personnel exchanges and economic cooperation between Guangdong and Hong Kong.

Phase-by-Phase Implementation, Gradually Expanding Coverage

The policy implementation is divided into two phases: the first phase, starting November 15th, allows approved private cars from Guangdong to enter the automated parking lots at Hong Kong ports via the Zhuhai Port of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge; the second phase, starting at midnight on December 23rd, allows car owners to enter Hong Kong city by appointment. The first batch of pilot cities includes Guangzhou, Zhuhai, Jiangmen, and Zhongshan, and the policy will be gradually extended to the entire Guangdong Province after six months of implementation.

Convenient Customs Clearance Experience, Comprehensive Supporting Services

On the first day of the policy's implementation, Mr. Zhou from Zhuhai became the first person to experience it. At the "one-stop" channel of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge port, vehicle inspection and facial recognition procedures are completed in just one minute, achieving efficient customs clearance. To cooperate with the new policy, the Zhuhai Border Inspection Station has optimized the registration process, allowing vehicles to pass through self-service inspection using only their optical license plates. Hong Kong has also simultaneously launched a "transit parking lot," providing approximately 1,800 parking spaces equipped with charging facilities to meet the diverse needs of car owners.

Quota management is orderly, and the application process is clear.

In the initial phase of entering Hong Kong's urban area, a daily quota of 100 places is allocated by lottery, with each vehicle staying in Hong Kong for a maximum of three days. Applicants must meet several conditions, including holding a Hong Kong driving license, completing vehicle registration, passing vehicle inspection, and purchasing third-party risk insurance. To facilitate Guangdong car owners, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government has also launched several supporting services, such as commissioning agencies to conduct vehicle inspections in Guangdong, allowing mainland residents to apply for Hong Kong driving licenses without testing, and insurance companies offering short-term insurance products.

The bridge effect is significant, accelerating integration within the Greater Bay Area.

Since its opening seven years ago, the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge has served over 93.4 million passengers and facilitated 19.5 million vehicle passages. Previously implemented policies allowing Macau vehicles to travel north and Hong Kong vehicles to travel north have enabled over 7.686 million Hong Kong and Macau-registered vehicles to enter the mainland, promoting a new pattern of "two-way flow" within the Greater Bay Area. Experts point out that the implementation of the "Guangdong vehicles traveling south" policy fully demonstrates the determination of Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macau to deepen integration and development, and will strongly support the construction of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area into a world-class bay area with global influence.