Govt to study ways to improve border crossing process
Chief Executive John Lee said on Tuesday that the authorities will look at ways to streamline border crossing procedures to ease overcrowding at checkpoints and improve the overall experience for people travelling between Hong Kong and the mainland. During the recent Chung Yeung Festival holiday, hundreds of thousands of people travelled to and from the mainland via various checkpoints, including the West Kowloon high-speed rail terminus.  The CE said while the large crowds reflected the government’s efforts to boost integration with the mainland, he acknowledged that effective crowd management measures are needed to improve people’s overall travelling experience. "An increase in the number of people would inevitably lead to longer waiting times. The public should be aware of the information provided by the government and allow extra time to cross the border," he said.  "Nevertheless, our departments will look at ways to improve the visitor experience." Meanwhile, DAB lawmaker Edward Leung told an RTHK programme that he hopes more manpower can be deployed on both sides on the border to facilitate people flow. He also proposed bringing in more screening machines to speed up the inspection of travellers' luggage.