A package of measures has been announced to ease traffic at Huanggang Port over the upcoming Halloween weekend, including prioritizing public transport, extending a dedicated bus lane and steering nighttime travelers toward other crossings.

With Halloween falling on Saturday, alongside the Hong Kong Wine & Dine Festival and a slate of major concerts, officials expect a significant jump in visitor arrivals and late-night border crossings.

Because multiple mega events are expected to wrap up around midnight, the government forecasts that the three consecutive nights from Friday through Sunday — roughly 11 pm to 2 am each night — will be the busiest period for northbound passenger and vehicle flows, with heavy congestion expected at the port and near San Tin Highway.

Hong Kong's Chief Secretary for Administration Chan Kwok-ki convened an interdepartmental working group meeting Wednesday to coordinate government preparations for an expected surge in cross-boundary passenger and vehicle traffic.

"We anticipate that Huanggang Port will be very busy during the late-night hours over the Halloween weekend," Chan said. "During peak hours, the government will adopt the principle of 'giving priority to public transport' and accord priority to the passage of public transport vehicles."

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Chan urged the public and visitors to plan ahead, check the operating hours of land and rail border crossings, and avoid converging on Huanggang late at night.

He also encouraged travelers to extend their stays in Hong Kong, citing "ticket stub offers" from various events as a way to make trips more comfortable.

Longer wait for private cars

Among land crossings between Hong Kong and Shenzhen, only Huanggang currently offers 24-hour clearance for passengers and passenger vehicles.

Cross-boundary private cars holding Closed Road Permits for other crossings — Shenzhen Bay, Man Kam To, Sha Tau Kok and Heung Yuen Wai — are allowed to use Huanggang between midnight and 6:30 am daily, driving up late-night vehicle volumes.

Citing limited connecting-road and private-car handling capacity, authorities will give priority to high-capacity franchised buses, green minibuses and cross-boundary coaches to maximize traffic dispersal during peak hours.

Passengers crossing by private car during the late-night rush could face waits of an hour or more in vehicle holding areas and clearance channels, officials warned, urging motorists to remain patient and follow police instructions.

Interdepartmental coordination at the port

The Joint Command Post at Huanggang will be activated early Friday afternoon and operate through the weekend, monitoring traffic in real time and liaising closely with Shenzhen port authorities.

The Security Bureau will simultaneously activate its Emergency Monitoring and Support Centre to oversee public order and coordinate emergency responses.

The Immigration Department and other port departments have minimized leave for frontline officers and will open all vehicle lanes, automated channels and manual counters as early as possible before peak arrivals. These include facilities at the L5 passenger departure hall, the L1 vehicle departure level and the L1M on-board passenger immigration hall.

Police and the Government Property Agency will deploy additional officers and service ambassadors at L1 and L1M to assist with crowd and traffic dispersal.

Traffic management and transit contingency plans

The Hong Kong Police Force and Transport Department reviewed last weekend's operations to refine traffic management and public transport support near the port.

Since the new port opened, the Transport Department has established a dedicated public transport lane leading directly to San Sham Road for franchised buses, cross-boundary coaches and green minibuses. The lane will now receive enhanced road markings and be extended, with officials reminding light-vehicle and taxi drivers not to use it.

During peak hours from Friday to Sunday nights, four franchised bus routes passing through the San Tin Public Transport Interchange will enter the facility directly from Castle Peak Road.

Depending on real-time conditions, police will impose traffic controls and activate holding areas near San Tin Highway to separate bus and private-car traffic.

Bus frequencies can be increased to every two to three minutes at peak times, while minibus and coach services can run every five minutes. The Transport Department's Emergency Transport Co-ordination Centre will operate around the clock.

Enforcement against 'white license cars'

Police will step up traffic control at peak times, quickly clear accidents and breakdowns, and crack down on obstructive offenses such as illegal parking and misuse of the dedicated bus lane.

Officials reiterated their concern over the illegal carriage of passengers for hire or reward, known as "white license cars," noting that legitimate cross-boundary hire cars must hold regular quotas, Closed Road Permits and relevant Hire Car Permits.

Offenders face prosecution, license disqualification, vehicle impoundment and revocation of the vehicle's Closed Road Permit upon conviction.

Authorities also warned that third-party liability insurance may be void in a crash involving illegal hire services.

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'Ticket Stub Offers' and real-time information

Led by the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau and the Hong Kong Tourism Board, event organizers, restaurants and merchants will roll out promotions this weekend that allow visitors to enjoy spending privileges by presenting concert or event tickets. The offers are part of a push to keep visitors in Hong Kong overnight and ease late-night traffic flows.

To help travelers plan, the Security Bureau, Transport Department and police will step up real-time information dissemination through the "Easy Boundary" clearance platform, the "HKeMobility" app and social media. Updates will include the latest passenger and private-car wait times at land crossings, queue locations, estimated waits, holding-area usage and special traffic arrangements, along with live traffic snapshots.

Officials again urged those planning late-night northbound trips to use other land and rail crossings before they close, where possible, and to take public transport if using Huanggang.

The Transport Department has directed operators to strengthen services from Hong Kong Island's Central District to Huanggang, and visitors are encouraged to stay overnight to avoid the crush.

Chan expressed gratitude to department personnel and public transport operators for their efforts, and renewed his appeal for the public and visitors to plan ahead, follow official information and heed on-site police instructions.