Overnight queues and a complicated application system prone to abuse highlight gaps in Hong Kong's policy execution for its cross-border car travel scheme. Demand for test-free licences has surged, catching the Transport Department off guard.
Hong Kong's car travel scheme allows drivers of Guangdong vehicles to enter via the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge, where they can park at designated lots to transfer to airport flights or local transport, or drive directly into urban areas. Quotas are in place to manage parking and prevent overwhelming the city's congested roads.
Yet, the Transport Department underestimated the demand for test-free licences, which official statistics show jumped from 27,000 in 2021 to over 84,000 last year. This surge has led to overnight queues at application centres. The queuing system has long been vulnerable to abuse by scalpers and gangs, prompting the department to introduce stricter identification requirements last August.
A fully upgraded online application system, which would extend counter services for test-free licences to all four licensing offices in Hong Kong, remains unavailable. These bottlenecks reveal disconnects between ambitious policies and their implementation, potentially hindering initiatives like the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Park, the Hetao cooperation zone, and the Northern Metropolis development.
Secretary for Transport and Logistics Mable Chan has acknowledged the need for swift improvements to facilitate smoother cross-border travel.