Under the scheme, certain drivers from Guangdong will be able to park at automated car parks near the airport while connecting to their flights. Each day, up to a hundred vehicles will be allowed into the urban areas.
During a radio programme, Chan highlighted the Airport Authority’s car park as a good template for businesses that might want to create similar spaces where visitors can shop, eat, and stay.
“When we drive in the United Kingdom, the United States and Australia, they have so-called ‘bed and breakfast’. We can park our cars for the night and get dinner and breakfast the next day before heading to our next location,” she said.
“When we go to Japan, which is frequented by many Hong Kong people, it is called ‘one night lodging and two meals’, which is actually the same concept, so the Airport Authority’s ‘Park and Fly’ car park is a kind of show flat.”
Chan also emphasised the importance of seamless technology so mainland drivers wouldn’t have any trouble with payments.
“The first step is to arrange some vehicle recognition systems. That is, the driver does not need to stretch out his hand to scan the card whether you are sitting on the right or left side,” she said.
“The vehicle recognition system can already recognise the license plate in front of the car. This is important.”
Chan said that Hong Kong already supported multiple electronic payment options.
