LCQ16: Regulation of cross-boundary driving schemes
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Question:
Since Northbound Travel for Hong Kong Vehicles was launched in July 2023, up to the present, the cumulative number of Hong Kong private cars that have participated in the scheme has exceeded 140 000. The Guangdong Provincial Government announced on May 30, 2026 that the validity period of the Northbound Travel for Hong Kong Vehicles policy would be extended by five years to June 1, 2031. The Government also launched Southbound Travel for Guangdong Vehicles in December 2025. Meanwhile, the General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China (GACC) promulgated in May 2026 several measures of the Customs in support of the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, launching 20 specific measures, among which include the implementation of one-stop regulation for Northbound Travel for Hong Kong Vehicles and Southbound Travel for Guangdong Vehicles. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) given that the GACC will implement one-stop regulation for Northbound Travel for Hong Kong Vehicles and Southbound Travel for Guangdong Vehicles, whether the authorities have conducted specific alignment on the relevant standards and put in place corresponding measures; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(2) as it has been reported that some drivers have made use of Northbound Travel for Hong Kong Vehicles to provide private charter car services for northbound boundary crossing, involving the illegal acts of unlawfully using motor vehicles for the carriage of passengers for hire or reward, whether the authorities have compiled statistics on the numbers of prosecutions and convictions involving such offences over the past three years, and the penalties imposed in each convicted case respectively;
(3) apart from the illegal acts mentioned in item (2) above, whether the authorities have information on the numbers of prosecutions and convictions involving other illegal acts relating to Northbound Travel for Hong Kong Vehicles, including smuggling offences in contravention of the Import and Export Ordinance (Cap. 60), and the penalties imposed in each convicted case respectively; and
(4) of the numbers of enforcement operations in which personnel posed as passengers (commonly known as "decoy operations") conducted by the authorities to combat illegal acts involving Northbound Travel for Hong Kong Vehicles over the past three years; and apart from decoy operations, what measures the authorities have in place to step up enforcement and prevent such illegal acts?
Reply:
President,
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government has been committed to working with the People's Government of Guangdong Province (Guangdong Government) to take forward various cross-boundary transport initiatives, including Northbound Travel for Hong Kong Vehicles (Northbound Travel Scheme) and Southbound Travel for Guangdong Vehicles (Southbound Travel Scheme) implemented via the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, through which realising mutual engagements between residents of the two places and fostering deeper connectivity within the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA).
Regarding the Northbound Travel Scheme, it has been three years since its implementation in mid-2023. The cumulative number of Hong Kong private cars participated in the scheme is over 140 000, and the cumulative two-way traffic flow has reached around 5.2 million vehicular trips. As for the Southbound Travel Scheme which was implemented at the end of last year, it has been expanded from the initial four applicable cities to all nine Mainland cities in the GBA since mid this year.
On the other hand, the General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China (GACC) promulgated several measures of the Customs in support of the development of the GBA in May 2026 in accordance with the National 15th Five-Year Plan to consolidate and enhance the role of the GBA as an engine for high-quality development. Twenty specific measures were proposed across five areas to inject fresh impetus to accelerate the development of the GBA. Among these, under the measure of "focusing on integrated development, strengthening closer convergence of rules and mechanisms, and striving to enhance the level of market integration in the GBA", the GACC announced the implementation of a one-stop regulation for the Northbound Travel Scheme and the Southbound Travel Scheme to facilitate cross-boundary travel between Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao. To this end, the Customs and Excise Department (C&ED) is currently liaising with the Guangdong Sub-Administration of the GACC on the implementation details of these specific measures.
After consulting the Transport and Logistics Bureau (TLB), the Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF) and the C&ED, the reply to the questions raised is as follows:
(1) Regarding the implementation of a one-stop regulation for the Northbound Travel Scheme and the Southbound Travel Scheme under the several measures of the Customs in support of the development of GBA promulgated by the GACC to facilitate cross-boundary travel between Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao, the C&ED is engaging with the Guangdong Sub-Administration of the GACC on the implementation details and actively liaising with the Customs administrations of Guangdong and Macao so as to better co-ordinate on the implementation of the measures. Besides, the TLB and the Transport Department will continue to maintain communication with the Guangdong Government on the Northbound Travel Scheme and the Southbound Travel Scheme.
(2) From 2023 to May 2026, a total of 19 cases involving cross-boundary vehicles were recorded during the enforcement actions taken by the HKPF against illegal carriage of passengers for hire or reward. The HKPF does not maintain records of other figures inquired in the question.
(3) Over the past three years (from July 2023 up to the present), the C&ED has prosecuted a total of seven cases against drivers under the Northbound Travel Scheme for breaching the laws of Hong Kong. The offences involved include failing to declare cigarettes exceeding the duty-free allowance, smuggling vehicle parts, as well as trafficking dangerous drugs etc. Among the seven cases, four cases have been convicted, while the remaining three are still undergoing court proceedings. Details of the seven cases categorised according to the relevant laws and their respective penalties are as follows:
| Relevant laws | Total no. of cases (Note) | Penalties |
| Dutiable Commodities Ordinance (Cap. 109) | 2 | Penalties for 2 cases include fines of $1,000, as well as a term of imprisonment of a period ranging from 2 weeks (suspended for 18 months) to 5 months |
| Import and Export Ordinance (Cap. 60) | 3 | 3 cases are still undergoing court proceedings |
| Dangerous Drugs Ordinance (Cap. 134) | 2 | Penalties for 2 cases include fines from $1,000 to $8,000, as well as a term of imprisonment of 10 months (suspended for 36 months) |
(4) The HKPF may conduct "decoy operations" by posing as passengers at varying intervals. The relevant information, however, involve operation details and cannot be revealed. Apart from "decoy operations", the HKPF will continue to adopt an intelligence-led approach, and depending on operational priorities, flexibly deploy resources for enforcement operations, such as conducting targeted traffic stop-and-searches at boundary control points and major roads irregularly.
Ends/Wednesday, July 8, 2026
Issued at HKT 17:20
Issued at HKT 17:20
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