About half the 500,000 travellers who left for the Easter holiday had returned to Hong Kong by last night, with Lowu the busiest checkpoint.
The Immigration Department said it took about 15 minutes for people to pass through one of the 100 counters it opened, and the checkpoint had processed 200,000 inbound travellers and 100,000 outbound travellers by about 11pm last night. A spokesman said officers were freed up thanks to the automatic immigration clearing machines that allow Hong Kong residents to pass through with smart identity cards.
There are 129 automatic e-channels installed at the border, and the department plans to raise the number to more than 200 by the middle of the year. The spokesman also urged people not to return to the city via the Lowu checkpoint during the peak hours between 4.30pm and 7.30pm today, with about 19,000 travellers an hour entering Hong Kong from the mainland.
Lok Ma Chau also faced busy cross-border traffic yesterday, with more than 120,000 incoming and outgoing travellers. At Chek Lap Kok airport, outbound travellers numbered 38,237, while 39,657 arrivals were recorded up to 10pm.
The number of outbound travellers surged by more than 10 per cent compared to Easter holidays in recent years, the Travel Industry Council said.
The travel agency watchdog attributed the higher number to the improved economy and the fact that holidaymakers were more willing to spend this year.