Border crossings processed by the Zhuhai General Station of Exit-Entry Frontier Inspection increased by 12.3 percent year-on-year to exceed 173 million in 2019, according to statistics released on Jan 2.

Passenger volume remained high across the city's 17 frontier inspection stations, especially on weekends and holidays. Daily numbers repeatedly set new all-time highs, maximizing at 610,500. Frequent peak periods occurred at multiple checkpoints with extended time spans.

Border crossings at Gongbei Checkpoint grew by 7.4 percent year-on-year to 145 million people, the highest in the country for the eighth consecutive year. Gongbei daily passenger volume broke the record four times in 2019 to crest at 483,900.

Hengqin Checkpoint processed 9.18 million travelers last year with a record-high single-day passenger flow of 50,000. The front inspection station at the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HZMB) tallied 12.88 million entry-exit individuals last year with a record 113,000 crossings for a single day. 

Self-service inspection channels [Photo by Zhao Zi & Zhang Ziheng to Zhuhai Daily]

One out of every four passengers exiting or entering the country was inspected at Zhuhai checkpoints according to a news spokesman of Zhuhai General Station of Exit-Entry Frontier Inspection.

Meanwhile, 5.13 million transport vehicles were inspected in 2019, up 18.5 percent from 2018.

All the activity is attributed to integrated development within the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, moderate economic diversification of Macao, rapid growth of the Hengqin Free Trade Zone, and opening of the HZMB.

In response to the rapid growth of exit-entry personnel and transport, Zhuhai is providing increasingly simplified clearance procedures and upgraded facilities. Waiting time for customs clearance has been cut to no more than 30 minutes as required by the National Immigration Administration.

Moreover, cars carrying people with physical disabilities need no longer be vacated for inspection, and registration procedures of cross-border Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao vehicles are now handled automatically.

In addition to 37 new self-service inspection channels at HZMB Zhuhai Port, more than 200 such channels have been upgraded throughout checkpoints citywide.

To date, 80 percent of travelers (136 million) have used the self-service inspection channels, an increase of 16.6 percent from the previous year.

The "Joint Inspection & One-Time Release" mode adopted by HZMB's Zhuhai-Macao border crossing facility has so far served more than 2.7 million passengers. The soon-to-open new Hengqin Checkpoint and Qingmao Checkpoint that is now under construction will also adopt the mode.