Guangdong drivers to get 3-day stay in Hong Kong under new cross-border scheme

Guangdong motorists approved to drive in Hong Kong will be allowed to stay in the city for up to three days at a time under a new cross-border scheme, a government paper has revealed, with authorities set to roll out the plan next month.

A paper submitted to the Legislative Council by the Transport and Logistics Bureau on Tuesday laid out details of the “Southbound Travel for Guangdong Vehicles” scheme, including the duration of stay for mainland Chinese drivers in the city.

“For entry into the urban area, it will start with a small scale of 100 daily booking quotas for a stay of up to three days per Guangdong vehicle,” the paper said.

Officials laid out in the paper that approved motorists from Guangdong province would be allowed to enter the city via the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge to park their car on an artificial island at the Hong Kong crossing, or drive into urban areas without having to obtain regular cross-border driver quotas.

The paper said that motorists intending to park their car at the bridge crossing would be exempt from needing a Hong Kong driving licence and undergoing vehicle inspections, “to offer the greatest convenience”.

But those wishing to enter the city’s urban areas would need to hold valid Hong Kong full driving licences, undergo vehicle inspections and have third-party insurance for their car’s stay in the city.

“To obviate the need for applicants to travel to Hong Kong for undergoing vehicle inspection, we are engaging Hong Kong organisations to carry out inspections in major cities of Guangdong,” the paper said.