Hong Kong's private car owners no longer need a special car plate to cross the border, benefiting around 450,000 car owners in the Special Administrative Region.
For a long time, public transportation was the primary mode of travel for Hong Kong citizens crossing the border. From 2017 to 2019, about 160 million Hong Kong citizens crossed the border each year, more than 440,000 daily commuters.
Chief Executive John Lee of Hong Kong said better transportation would help development within the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA).
A similar travel scheme for Macau began this year. To handle the increased traffic, Zhuhai, the first mainland city to be included in the program, has expanded crossings and upgraded car plate recognition systems.
Guangdong's department of culture and tourism is developing resources to accommodate increased numbers of tourists.
