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The Immigration Department estimates that about 5.8 million people will pass through the land boundary checkpoints on their way to and from the Mainland during the Lunar New Year festive period, an increase of 14.3% over last year's holiday period.

The peak period for cross-boundary traffic during the Lunar New Year festive period will be from January 19 to February 1, a spokesperson for the Immigration Department said. It is estimated that about 4.05 million passengers (an average of 290,000 daily) will use the Lo Wu checkpoint. This represents over 70% of total estimated cross-boundary passenger traffic and an increase of 3% over the corresponding period last year.

The number of departing passengers at Lo Wu is expected to peak at 200,000 on January 21, while the peak of arrivals is expected to fall on January 26, with 210,000 people returning to Hong Kong. Daily traffic is expected to reach 325,000 on both January 24 and January 26.

Heavy passenger traffic is also forecast for the Lok Ma Chau checkpoint - about 1.37 million passengers, a daily average of 98,000. The peak of departures is expected on January 21, with about 66,000 people departing for Shenzhen. The number of arriving passengers is expected to reach a peak of 63,000 on January 25.

The spokesperson noted that the Lunar New Year was another "Golden Holiday" in the Mainland, so the numbers of Mainland visitors coming in groups or on an individual basis can be expected to increase considerably. An estimated 300,000 Mainland visitors will enter Hong Kong via Lo Wu and Lok Ma Chau control points. It has increased 33% when comparing with the last year's 226,000.

To cope with the extra demand, the Immigration Department has arranged for 250 officers to reinforce the boundary checkpoints during the festive period through internal deployment. The Immigration Department and the Shenzhen authorities will also strengthen their co-operation and liaison to ensure smooth and orderly movements across the boundary. If need be, the Lo Wu checkpoint will implement the Contra-Flow Scheme to relieve congestion.

To ensure smooth arrival of Mainland tour groups, the Immigration Department will implement a series of special measures and arrangements 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.

On January 12, the Immigration Department and the Travel Industry Council of Hong Kong convened a meeting to brief 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. They were also asked to use separate coaches for conveying group members and transit passengers so as to expedite passenger flow.

The operators were also asked to provide group tour forecast information in advance and urged to observe the relevant requirements in furnishing the group lists. Moreover, in view of the limited handling capacity of the Lok Ma Chau checkpoint, the Immigration Department has appealed to tour operators to use the Lo Wu checkpoint from January 21 to 25, to reduce congestion.

Tour guides were taken to visit the Lo Wu and Lok Ma Chau control points on January 16 to familiarise them with the layout and greeting locations.

In September 2003, the Immigration Department introduced the new "Expeditious Immigration Clearance System" at the Lo Wu and Lok Ma Chau control points. On December 23, the system was extended to Man Kam To control point. Immigration clearance speed and handling capacity have increased by 10% as a result.

In addition, the Immigration Department, the Police, the Customs and Excise Department, the Transport Department, the KCRC and the Shenzhen authorities have formed a Joint Command Centre at Lo Wu control point. The parties have drawn up contingency measures to handle any untoward incidents and will oversee traffic conditions during the festive period.

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

Passengers bound for the Mainland should be careful with their personal belongings and avoid carrying over-sized luggage, the department said. Also, they must also be sure to bring along their identity cards and valid travel documents required for travel to the Mainland.

Those in the process of having their identity cards replaced and holding an acknowledgment receipt should bring along a valid travel document. Children under 11 years of age who hold Hong Kong identity cards should carry a valid travel document such as their passport or Re-entry Permit.

Those holding non machine-readable multiple Re-entry Permits issued before December 17, 2001 are advised to apply early for a free add-on machine-readable label, so as to shorten their immigration clearance time. Application forms are available at the Information and Liaison Section at Immigration Headquarters, six Immigration Branch Offices, District Offices and main Post Offices, or can be downloaded from the Immigration Department homepage, http://www.immd.gov.hk.

The Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation (KCRC) has also announced that there will be a temporary traffic arrangement on San Sham Road, Lok Ma Chau. Motorists are advised that to facilitate KCRC East Rail Extension construction works, partial lane closure or very short period of intermittent road closure will be implemented on San Sham Road from a point about 750 metres north of its junction with Lok Ma Chau Border Control Point to a point about 600 metres north of the same junction from 11 pm to 5 am of the following day daily between January 22 and February 8, 2004. Appropriate traffic signs will be erected on site and police officers will also be there to guide motorists.

Ends/Monday, January 19, 2004

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