The Lunar New Year weekend holiday ended today (2nd, the fifth day of the Lunar New Year), and a large number of citizens who had traveled abroad returned to Hong Kong. Late last night (the 1st, the fourth day of the Lunar New Year), a significant number of vehicles were returning to Hong Kong via the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge from north to south. A severe traffic jam occurred at the Hong Kong Port Immigration Clearance Plaza on the artificial island of the bridge in Tung Chung. Some car owners reported that their vehicles remained stationary for an hour, suspecting either a traffic accident or a malfunction in the Immigration Department’s system. A driver who had arrived in Zhuhai mentioned that he had been stuck in traffic in Zhuhai for two hours before finally crossing the border to return to Hong Kong. “He drove to Tung Chung, but… he had to wait another hour in traffic in Hong Kong.”
From Lunar New Year’s Eve to the third day of the Lunar New Year, 50,000 vehicles were classified as “Hong Kong vehicles heading north” and “Macau vehicles heading north.”
Between January 26 and January 31, a total of 275,134 Hong Kong residents traveled to Mainland China and Macau via the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, while 187,805 returned to Hong Kong during the same period. This means that up to 87,329 people had not yet returned to the port. Regarding vehicles, the Zhuhai Border Inspection Station announced yesterday that from January 28 (the 29th day of the Lunar New Year) to the third day of the Lunar New Year, nearly 70,000 vehicles had crossed, representing a 32% increase compared to the same period last year. More than 50,000 of these were heading north.
On the fourth day of the Lunar New Year, a large number of passengers from Hong Kong were waiting at Zhuhai Port to return to Hong Kong.
On the Facebook page of a Hong Kong-to-north car-sharing group, many car owners complained about the difficulties of returning to Hong Kong late at night on the fourth day of the Lunar New Year. When Hong Kong vehicles return to Hong Kong, while drivers can remain in their cars for the exit inspection, passengers must disembark to complete the exit procedures before re-entering Hong Kong. A long queue began forming at the Zhuhai Port Bridge last night. In addition to the long line of cars, there was also a long queue of people that lasted until late at night. “At 11:20 PM (the fourth day of the Lunar New Year), a large number of passengers from Hong Kong vehicles heading north were still waiting at Zhuhai Port to return to Hong Kong.”
A car owner who arrived at the Hong Kong Port Vehicle Immigration Clearance Plaza on the artificial island of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge at around 7:30 PM on Thursday reported that almost all the entry gates were open. After passing through Zhuhai customs, many Hong Kong residents thought they had successfully crossed the bridge and could drive back to Hong Kong without issues. However, they soon encountered severe traffic congestion at the immigration clearance plaza.
Car Owners Condemn Chaos at Vehicle Immigration Clearance Plaza: “It’s a Disaster”
According to posts on various platforms, traffic congestion at the immigration clearance plaza became severe from 11 PM on the fourth day of the Lunar New Year and continued until after 1 or 2 AM today. It reportedly took about an hour to pass through the gates and reach the immigration and customs checkpoint. Some believed the congestion was caused by a car accident, while others suspected an immigration system failure. Regardless, it was complete chaos. However, it was confirmed that there was no malfunction in the Hong Kong Immigration and Customs Department’s computer system at the time.
One car owner stated that the number of vehicles was simply overwhelming, describing the management as extremely disorganized. “There were no clear instructions directing vehicles to the immigration lanes for customs clearance, which resulted in cars queuing at the entrance of the truck area (where no staff were present) or changing lanes randomly. There was a long queue to enter the gate, and drivers were almost waving at each other to determine who would go first.”
The post also mentioned that there was only one command vehicle and a single person trying to direct traffic. “Adding to the situation were traffic accidents, vehicle breakdowns, drivers not following staff instructions, and cars cutting in line… all of this happened simultaneously. It was a disaster.”
Hong Kong Residents Leave Online Messages About the Traffic Jam on Their Way Back to Hong Kong
- “Traffic jam on the way back to Hong Kong at 11:05 PM!”
- “I’ve been waiting for an hour. Does anyone know what’s happening?”
- “The checkpoint has been jammed for 50 minutes tonight.”
- “Zhuhai is faster than Hong Kong!”
- “I was stuck for two minutes. I was so happy to reach the mainland after an hour, but then I continued my journey to Tung Chung and… had to wait another hour in Hong Kong.”
- “It took me an hour and 20 minutes to get here (Hong Kong Immigration Port). Passengers on the upper floor were stuck, still trying to get through the entrance (crossing the bridge section).”
- “At 12:55 AM on Saturday (which is 00:55 AM Sunday), the Hong Kong Immigration Department must have been completely jammed. Ten minutes later, I still hadn’t moved forward.”
- “I arrived at the port at 11:34 PM, and the traffic was already slow. I got stuck in a jam upon arrival, then accidentally joined the wrong queue. My queue was extremely slow, while I saw cars in the adjacent lane moving quickly. There were three or four vehicles in the isolation area, and I was the first one through. Eventually, I cleared Hong Kong customs at 12:25 AM.”
- “At 2:04 AM in Hong Kong, traffic was at a standstill, and the road ahead was completely jammed. There was also a car accident.”
- “Hong Kong border… standstill… 2:07 AM.”
- “Still stuck at 2:30 AM (early morning of the fifth day of the Lunar New Year).”