AUTHORITIES in Shenzhen are understood to have dismissed a call by the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce that border-crossing facilities at Lo Ma Chau, Man Kam To and Sha Tau Kok open 24 hours a day.
The call followed Governor Chris Patten's policy statement last week in which he revealed that the Hong Kong Government will discuss with Chinese authorities the opening of a 24-hour border crossing at Lok Ma Chau.
''This issue has been dragging on for a number of years, and the congestion has been getting worse. Although the Government's new initiative is welcome, it is clearly not enough,'' said chamber director Ian Christie.
''It is hard to believe that one of the busiest freight land borders in the world should have restricted opening hours,'' Mr Christie said.
''We should aim to open all three check points without delay to alleviate the serious traffic congestion our haulage industry faces every day.'' The chamber's shipping committee, and the transport distribution and services committee of the Coalition of Services Industries, formed a high-priority working group early last year to study the extent of the problem of increased cross-border traffic congestion and its bearings on economic development of trade between Hong Kong and south China.
In May last year, the working group made three recommendations: To extend the opening time for border crossing as an immediate relief.
