LegCo passes Huanggang Port bill; cross-border living & hiked rentals

The Legislative Council has passed the Huanggang Port Hong Kong Port Area Bill.

That has cleared the way for the new co-location arrangement at the redeveloped port.

The Legislative Council held an additional meeting to resume the second reading debate on the Huanggang Port Hong Kong Port Area Bill.

Lawmakers raised concerns over the transport arrangements and system stability at the new border crossing.

CHAN CHUN-YING, Legco (Finance) (Voice of Translator): "Members also requested that the authorities put in place appropriate measures to meet passenger and vehicle flows at the Huanggang Port so as to avoid congestion during peak periods which could affect clearance efficiency."

JEFF YIU MING, Legco (N. T. North) (DAB) (Voice of Translator): "Before we had system errors that have caused long queues we have such system errors again, the consequences are dire. There should be contingency plans in place to make sure there won't be a total breakdown of operations of the port."

The new Huanggang Port passenger terminal is located within Shenzhen.

Under authorisation from China's State Council, the Hong Kong Port Area will operate under Hong Kong jurisdiction and laws, adopting the "co-location" arrangement with "joint inspection and one-time clearance".

Concluding the debate, Secretary for Security Chris Tang says the government has arranged seven franchised bus routes, six green minibus routes and cross-boundary coach services linking the new port with different districts across Hong Kong.

Secretary for Finance CHRIS TANG (Voice of Translator): "To provide the best possible convenience for cross-boundary travellers, we will monitor the level of service and depending on circumstances -- make adjustments accordingly."

After nearly four hours of debate, lawmakers passed the bill in its second reading.

It was then approved at its third reading without objection.

The government said it will gazette the legislation as soon as possible and work with Shenzhen authorities to advance relevant preparations.

It adds that the opening date of the crossing will be announced in due course.

At the new Huanggang Port joint checkpoint building, directional signs for cross-boundary vehicles have already been installed while parts of the area outside remain unpaved.

And as the opening of the new Huanggang Port is expected to make cross-border commuting more convenient for residents living nearby, it could also drive up residential rents.

A two-bedroom apartment of nearly 800 square feet now rents for around 8,500 yuan a month marking a rise in rentals by around 8%.

Once operational, the new checkpoint is expected to handle around 200,000 passenger trips a day.