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Mainland driving trial unveiled

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  1. #1

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    Mainland driving trial unveiled

    Mainland driving trial unveiled

    Hong Kong car-owners can apply to drive into Guangdong via Shenzhen Bay Port from March 30.

    Commissioner for Transport Joseph Lai said today phase one of the Ad Hoc Quota Trial Scheme for Cross Boundary Private Cars will provide another transport alternative for cross-boundary travellers.

    He said the first batch of Hong Kong drivers can make their journey from April 27.

    The daily quota is 50 cars. The permit will allow the car to enter Guangdong via Shenzhen Bay Port once within a five-day period and stay for no more than seven days.

    Applicants must be the registered owner of a Hong Kong-licensed car, must be a Hong Kong resident and must hold a valid Home Visit Permit. The driver must hold valid Hong Kong and Mainland driving licences.

    Applications will be assessed by the Hong Kong and Guangdong governments separately. Apart from the statutory insurance required by both places, an applicant should also consider taking out travel insurance, commercial third party liability insurance and liability insurance for cross-boundary vehicle owners.

    Mr Lai said the second phase will allow Mainland cars to enter Hong Kong, however, no timetable has been finalised yet. Experts from the two governments will further study the implementation details of phase two once the first phase is running smoothly.

    “We will take full account of the impact on traffic, road safety as well as the environment. We will start with a small amount of quotas,” Mr Lai said, adding only applicants with good driving records will be allowed to drive across the boundary.


    Now you can get your car serviced for 1/2 the cost, go to Tescos or Walmart and generally break the control of the property tycoons. How did LKS allow this to happen?
    Last edited by East_coast; 14-02-2012 at 06:21 AM.

  2. #2

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    I get the feeling leaving a car at my brother's place in Zhuhai is going to be more realistic at the moment!


  3. #3

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    Quote Originally Posted by East_coast:
    Now you can get your car serviced for 1/2 the cost, go to Tescos or Walmart and generally break the control of the property tycoons. How did LKS allow this to happen?
    And parts a 1/10th of the quality with local oils, fluids. I think that may go other way around. Any why Tescos and Walmart when in general prices are equivalent or more than HK? Added to the large costs for requirements as stated last week and that's one mother expensive shopping trip.

    Oh as a home return permit is required this is totally irrelevant now to most people here.
    dear giant likes this.

  4. #4

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    I am surprised that Easty hasn't CRIED foul as to how discriminatory this policy is, in that it excludes all non Chinese residents of Hong Kong from using this feature...! lol


  5. #5

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    Only the owner needs HRP so I guess my wife could be the owner. I just think the chances of being the one in 50 are slim....better wait a few more years till the border is scrapped...


  6. #6

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    Owner needs an HRP, HK and GD driving license and insurance in their name.


  7. #7

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    I started driving in China in the 90s with a small cheap yellow Xiali. That was fun.

    Nowadays I have a few friends with German made luxury cars, and I could borrow one of them at any time. But thanks, no thanks. I prefer them driving me around. Especially at the daytime (night time maybe, but I don't see a reason). And if you plan a road trip to a place further away, you can always rent a car in Shenzhen, there are lots of rental companies.

    My wife is from Shenzhen and her family and lots of friends stay there. It would have made everything so much more civilized if we could have just driven across the border during the past decade. But now, with SZ Bay Bridge, it takes me $200 and a taxi ride and 30 minutes to be in the middle of Nanshan. If I use the West Railway and the B2P bus it's 1h. I used to line up for an hour or more in the middle of chaos in Lo Wo, after spending an hour to get there by MTR and KCR. Don't even get me started on getting back through Lo Wo Railway Station. So things have definitely improved.

    I still have a lot of credit with one of these cross border license coaches, but we rarely use it. It's more convenient for sure, but I don't think it save a lot of time honestly. You line up at the border with a few cross border vans in front of you all opening trunks and stuff. It takes forever. This line can only become longer if they allow private cars for fun rides.

    I should think about reselling that credit, because we've had it for years and if that company goes bust it's gone, but that's another story.

    Last edited by 100LL; 14-02-2012 at 09:18 AM.

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    I don't think chances are slim. Less than 5% of the population has a privately registered car. Out of that you can dismiss 7 seat cars which will exclude the majority of MPV and a lot of SUV cars. Exclude the commercial vans registered as private cars and all cars on finance. The rules are unclear as to 2 and 4 seat cars.

    Later phases will see these permits go up to 350 or possibly even 500/day. Like all things new it will probably be crazy for first few months until novelty wears off.


  9. #9

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    Never mind whether mainland drivers pose a threat to road safety in Hong Kong, what about HK drivers going to the mainland and picking up the bad driving habits from up north and then "exporting" it back to HK when they return to drive in the city?


  10. #10

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    Quote Originally Posted by Watercooler:
    Never mind whether mainland drivers pose a threat to road safety in Hong Kong, what about HK drivers going to the mainland and picking up the bad driving habits from up north and then "exporting" it back to HK when they return to drive in the city?
    They do that already, and they all drive black, dual ( CN/HK) plated, Toyota Alphards. Indicators are optional with that lot.

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