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The Immigration Department estimates that about 3.4 million people will cross the land boundary checkpoints to and from the Mainland during the coming National Day and Chung Yeung festive holiday period, representing an increase of 34.3 per cent as compared with the same period last year.

A spokesman for the Immigration Department said that the peak period of cross-boundary traffic during the National Day and Chung Yeung festive holiday period would fall between September 30 and October 7, 2003. It is estimated about 2.4 million passengers (daily average of 302,000) will cross the boundary via the Lo Wu checkpoint. It represents 70 per cent of the total cross-boundary passenger traffic and an increase of 17.1 per cent when compared with the corresponding period of last year.

During the festive period, the number of departing passengers at Lo Wu may reach a peak of 230,000 on October 4, 2003 while the peak of arrivals will be on October 5, 2003 with 220,000 people returning to Hong Kong. The highest daily traffic is expected to reach 370,000 on October 4, 2003.

The passenger traffic at Lok Ma Chau checkpoint during the festive period will also be very heavy with a forecast of 719,000 passengers (daily average of 90,000). The peak of departures is expected to fall on October 4, 2003 with about 54,000 people departing for Shenzhen, and the arrival peak will be on October 5, 2003 with about 56,000 people returning to Hong Kong.

"The National Day is a 'Golden Holiday' in the Mainland. With the relaxation of Hong Kong immigration policy on Mainland group tour visitors last year, coupled with the current introduction of Mainland Individual Visit Scheme in July, it was anticipated that the numbers of Mainland visitors coming on group tour and on individual basis would increase considerably. As estimated, about 60,000 to 80,000 Mainland individual visitors will enter Hong Kong during the 'Golden Week Holiday', while about 19,000 Mainland group visitors will arrive between October 1 and October 4, 2003, of them majority will come via Lo Wu and Lok Ma Chau control points," added the spokesman.

To cope with the traffic demands, the Immigration Department has arranged 266 officers to reinforce the land boundary checkpoints during the festive period through internal deployment. Among the reinforcements, 100 staff will be deployed to Lo Wu, 146 to Lok Ma Chau, 8 to Man Kam To, 7 to Sha Tau Kok and 5 to Hung Hom. Besides, the Immigration Department and the Shenzhen authorities will strengthen cooperation and liaison so as to ensure smooth and orderly movements across the boundary. If need be, the Lo Wu checkpoint will also implement the Contra-Flow Scheme to relieve congestion.

Most of the Mainland group tour visitors would be scheduled to arrive in the morning sessions via Lo Wu checkpoint during the festive period. To relieve congestion, the Immigration Department appealed to the Mainland visitors travelling on individual capacity to avoid arriving Lo Wu in the morning sessions from October 1 to October 4, 2003.

To ensure smooth arrival of Mainland group tour passengers during the festive period, the Immigration Department had in conjunction with the Police, the Customs and Excise Department, the Transport Department, the Tourism Commission, the Hong Kong Tourism Board, the Travel Industry Council of Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Hotels Association taken a series of special measures and arrangements.

"The Immigration Department and the Travel Industry Council of Hong Kong had convened a meeting on September 9, 2003 to brief the tour operators about the arrangements for clearance of Mainland group tour visitors. The operators were requested to avoid using shuttle buses to convey tour groups via Lok Ma Chau during the festive period. Moreover, they were requested to use separate coaches for conveying group members and transit passengers so as to expedite the flow of passengers," said the spokesman.

The operators were also asked to provide group tour forecast information in advance and they were urged to observe the relevant requirements in furnishing the group lists. Moreover, in view of the limited handling capacity of Lok Ma Chau checkpoint, the Immigration Department has appealed to tour operators for using Lo Wu checkpoint between October 1 and October 4, 2003 so as to avert congestion.

Visits were arranged for the tour guides to Lo Wu and Lok Ma Chau control points on September 23, 2003 so that they may be more familiarized with the layout and greeting locations, thereby improving the efficiency of reception of tour groups.

With a view to enhancing the efficiency of immigration clearance on visitors at Lo Wu and Lok Ma Chau control points, the Immigration Department has introduced the new 'Expeditious Immigration Clearance System' on September 22, 2003 to further automate the clearance with the concept of self-service. Under the new system, the immigration procedures and clearance speed on holders of machine-readable travel document will be enhanced through pre-reading of the passenger's particulars by the new device installed in front of the clearance counters.

On the other hand, the Immigration Department has in association with the Police, the Customs and Excise Department, the Transport Department, KCRC and the Shenzhen authorities formed a Joint Command Centre at Lo Wu control point. The party has drawn up contingency measures to handle untoward incidents and would oversee traffic condition during the festive period. In addition, temporary task forces have been set up at Lo Wu and Lok Ma Chau control points to tackle emergencies.

Furthermore, the Civil Aid Service will increase manpower to assist in providing crowd control services at Lo Wu Control Point during the festive period.

The spokesman reminded that passengers bound for the Mainland should be cautious of their personal belongings and to observe order. Also, they have to bring along their identity cards and travel documents as may be required by the Mainland authorities. Furthermore, they should refrain from carrying over-size luggage to avoid hazards.

Those having their identity cards replaced and holding an acknowledgement receipt should bring along a valid travel document. In regard to children under 11 years of age who hold Hong Kong identity cards, they should carry a valid travel document such as the passport or Re-entry Permit.

The spokesman also appealed to those holding non machine-readable multiple Re-entry Permit issued before December 17, 2001 to apply early for an add-on machine-readable label free of charge such that their immigration clearance time can be shortened. Application forms are available at the Information and Liaison Section at the Immigration Headquarters, 6 Immigration Branch Offices, District Offices and main Post Offices or can be downloaded from the Homepage of Immigration Department on the internet at http://www.info.gov.hk/immd/.

End/Monday, September 29, 2003

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