Govt should extend border operating hours: DAB
DAB lawmaker Vincent Cheng on Wednesday called on the government to extend the operating hours of border crossing during holidays and large-scale events.  Speaking at a tea gathering with reporters, Cheng said the extended border operations over Lunar New Year went smoothly. He said the city needs to plan cross-border arrangements in advance of each holiday and prominent event, such as the upcoming Hong Kong Sevens in April.  Cheng said the government should consider opening some control points around the clock. "After this Chinese New Year, the government should review the number of people going in and out, and then see which timeslot has more people using it. If after 12 midnight, there are still a lot of people using, let's say, Shenzhen Bay, then we can open it up a bit more, especially during holidays and special events," he said. With Hong Kong set to celebrate the 75th National Day on October 1, DAB vice-chairperson Brave Chan called on mainland authorities to give the SAR two pandas from Sichuan as a present.  Chan said the pandas would symbolise the city's close relationship with the mainland.  He suggested the pandas be named "Zhi-zhi" and "Xing-xing," meaning "stability" and "prosperity" respectively. Chan also urged the SAR authorities to organise a series of exhibitions and events to celebrate National Day.