Huanggang busy on first long weekend travel rush

Secretary for Security Chris Tang on Sunday said authorities have stepped up on-site management at the Huanggang port to cope with higher passenger traffic. This came as the redeveloped port saw crowds at its departure hall heading into its first travel peak – the long Chung Yeung Festival weekend. The Security Bureau noted that the port was busiest between 1pm and 2pm with more than 9,700 departures – nearly nine times more than previously. During the peak, travellers needed to wait for 30 to 45 minutes for crowd diversion arrangements on the second floor of the port building, and within 30 minutes at the departure hall on the fifth floor, it said. The bureau said departure traffic began to ease from 2pm. Writing on his social media page, Tang said the port had seen an "obvious" rise in passenger traffic. He called on cross-border travellers to follow the instructions of on-site staff members and register for the automated channels in advance for faster crossings. Tang added that people should plan their trip early and avoid crossing the border during peak hours. The Immigration Department, for its part, said outbound passenger traffic was heavy between 10am and 2pm on Sunday, with departures topping 30,000. The department said it had deployed...