Hong Kong authorities may extend opening hours at border for busy overnight traffic
Director of Immigration Benson Kwok says longer hours will require collaborative effort, but he is open to making adjustments for heavy traffic
Hong Kong’s immigration chief has said authorities may consider extending opening times for the city’s border checkpoints during periods of high overnight traffic.
Director of Immigration Benson Kwok Joon-fung said on Saturday that border traffic had continued to increase following the end of the pandemic, nearly reaching pre-Covid levels.
Hong Kong recorded 1.2 million inbound and outbound trips on August 25, surpassing the daily record of 1.19 million set in 2017, he said.
“We have already reduced the number of staff taking leave during peak season. We will also deploy some manpower to help offer a more efficient service,” Kwok told a television programme.
Asked whether the Immigration Department would consider extending operating hours at checkpoints to process the high levels of traffic, Kwok said such a decision would require collaboration with various parties.
“It will involve different government departments and some organisations, as well as the relevant units in mainland China,” he said. “If we really extend operating times but traffic is very low, resources will have been wasted.”
But the immigration official pledged to keep an eye on the situation.
