New Huanggang checkpoint to undergo major stress tests with 10,000 participants

Several major stress tests involving more than 10,000 people – including Hong Kong civil servants – will be carried out at the revamped Huanggang Port border crossing, as part of over 100 exercises slated for the coming months to ensure smooth and safe operations, the city’s security chief has revealed. But Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung on Saturday stopped short of committing to an official opening date. Sources previously said the land crossing could come into operation as early as September. During the first government-organised press and lawmaker tour of the new facility, which is located on the Shenzhen side of the border in Futian district, Tang said the exercises would involve individual and cross-departmental tests across the Hong Kong government, as well as participation from mainland Chinese counterparts. They include operational trials, transport tests and anti-terrorism exercises. “We will conduct a few large-scale joint exercises with the Shenzhen side, involving at least 10,000 people … Once it’s completed, we will consider the official opening date,” he said. “Similar to the stress test before the opening of Kai Tak Stadium, we will need to mobilise civil servants.” In February last year, civil servants and volunteers attended two major drills at Kai Tak Sports Park ahead of the stadium’s opening in March, including one with more than 60,000 participants. Saturday’s site visit came a day after Hong Kong officially assumed legal jurisdiction over its designated areas inside the new nine-storey building. Dozens of workers were seen cleaning up dust and construction debris at the site as preparations were under way. Tang said the revamped 24-hour land crossing was expected to handle 200,000 daily travellers, with clearance times set to be slashed from 30 minutes to just five. Under an unprecedented “joint inspection” crossing mode, passengers only need to undergo departure and arrival clearance at a single checkpoint by presenting the travel document required for their destination at either automatic or manual counters, instead of passing through separate counters. On Saturday, the government led about 30 Legislative Council members on a tour of the facilities, including the public transport hub, the joint inspection machines and private vehicle checkpoints. Legco president Starry Lee Wai-king said she was deeply impressed after visiting the facility, which she described as a crucial piece of infrastructure for Hong Kong’s integration with national development. She noted concerns about public transport options and called on the government to complete testing and finalise public transport routes so the revamped building could go into operation “as soon as possible” to better serve residents. “With the advancement of the national 15th five-year plan and the development of the Northern Metropolis, the new Huanggang Port plays a pivotal role in accelerating the flow of people and goods between Shenzhen and Hong Kong,” she said. The first floor of the building houses vehicle entry and exit facilities, while the public transport interchange is located on the second floor. The exterior is modelled after a giant cornerstone with horizontal metal ribbons resembling erosion marks created by water, while the latticed ceiling of the departure hall features bougainvillea, Shenzhen’s emblem flower. Travellers can choose to cross using either one of the 134 automated gates or 68 staffed counters. Residents with a valid Hong Kong identity card and a home-return permit, including those belonging to non-Chinese permanent residents, are eligible for the automated gates. The gates are further divided into two types, one that requires scanning physical identification and another using facial recognition. Residents only need to line up for the automated gates, present their documents and have their identities verified, including by facial scans and fingerprints, as required by mainland authorities. Travellers requiring manual processing will have to queue at the counters, with Hong Kong and mainland customs officers seated adjacently. Residents crossing the border by private car must alight and clear immigration on foot, similarly using the joint inspection machines, in an area separate from those using public transport. Drivers and their vehicles can undergo a “five-in-one” inspection using 26 dedicated lanes, where they have their temperature, identity, facial features and fingerprints recorded in one go via an integrated data collection machine. The information will be shared with Hong Kong and mainland immigration and customs authorities, as well as the Department of Health. The port will be served by seven franchised bus routes and six minibus routes, as well as services by private cross-border bus operators. Daily traffic is expected to rise to 300,000 after the opening of the MTR Northern Link Spur Line linking the port to San Tin station on the main line that connects to the Tuen Ma and East Rail MTR lines. The MTR station is expected to be commissioned by 2034 or earlier alongside the Northern Link main line.

New Huanggang checkpoint to undergo major stress tests with 10,000 participants

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Drills part of over 100 exercises to be conducted in coming months to ensure smooth and safe operations, security chief Chris Tang says

Drills part of over 100 exercises to be conducted in coming months to ensure smooth and safe operations, security chief Chris Tang says