Late-night outbound passenger flow surged last weekend, with scores of visitors leaving the city after attending a concert in Kai Tak or Halloween festivities elsewhere.
In a press briefing on Wednesday, Chief Secretary Eric Chan said more than 1,000 vehicles passed through Huanggang within two hours last Saturday, far exceeding its capacity of 360 vehicles per hour.
With more concerts scheduled this Friday and Saturday, plus the Wine and Dine Festival at the Central Harbourfront, authorities are bracing for another hectic weekend at the port.
Chan said northbound traffic at the crossing is expected to peak between 11pm and 2am from October 30 to November 1.
All inspection counters and vehicle lanes will open during those times to facilitate the travel peak.
Chan said priority will be given to public transport, while private cars will be diverted to a holding area when necessary, with possible waiting times of more than one hour.
He also urged travellers not to patronise unauthorised ride-hailing services.
“We will take law enforcement action because this is no good for the passengers. There is a risk in case of accidents – the insurance will not cover the damage,” he said, adding that three arrests were made in the past two days.
Secretary for Transport and Logistics Mable Chan said cross-border coach operators would ramp up services this weekend, with frequencies of up to five minutes.
Secretary for Security Chris Tang said an emergency monitoring and support centre will start operating at noon on Friday to coordinate between government departments.
Chan once again appealed to travellers to consider staying overnight.
“Rather than being stuck in traffic, why not spend an extra hour at Lan Kwai Fong?” he said.