China: Northbound travel scheme for Macao vehicles marks new milestone.

Shotlist Zhuhai City, Guangdong Province, south China - Recent 1. Aerial shots of traffic on Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge 2. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Xi Yuan, local customs official (starting with shot 1/ending with shot 3): "While accurately identifying risks, we have managed to provide passengers with a seamless customs clearance. Customs authorities have also collaborated with other departments to optimize the one-stop joint inspection and release process. During peak periods, we allocated regulatory resources in accordance with the changing situation and streamlined clearance procedures to ensure efficient and smooth customs clearance." 3. Various of vehicles at customs inspection area Storyline The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge witnessed a new milestone on Sunday, as a total of five million cross-border trips by vehicles registered solely in Macao was recorded at Gongbei Customs in Zhuhai City as of 10:00 on the morning since the Northbound Travel for Macao Vehicles program came into effect on January 1, 2023. Among them, 544,000 trips were made in the first four months of this year, according to Gongbei Customs in south China's Guangdong Province. The program allows non-commercial small motor vehicles with only a Macao registration plate to travel between the special administrative region and Guangdong via the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge without the need to obtain a regular quota. Data show that it took 334 days for the number of such trips to reach one million, but only 217 days to increase from four million to five million. "While accurately identifying risks, we have managed to provide passengers with a seamless customs clearance. Customs authorities have also collaborated with other departments to optimize the one-stop joint inspection and release process. During peak periods, we allocated regulatory resources in accordance with the changing situation and streamlined clearance procedures to ensure efficient and smooth customs clearance," said customs officer Xi Yuan. With the successive implementation of schemes allowing northbound travel for Hong Kong vehicles and southbound travel for Guangdong vehicles, the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge port has entered a new stage featuring much more convenient driving experience between the three areas. [Restrictions: No access Chinese mainland]