Passengers and drivers travelling between Hong Kong and the Mainland or Macau will be invited to partake in a random survey at 11 immigration checkpoints from November 3 to 16, the Planning Department says.

The Cross-boundary Travel Survey 2009 will collect information on the characteristics of cross-boundary trips, and the socio-economic profiles and travelling behaviour of the trip makers, including local residents and visitors.

By examining the commuting characteristics of different types of cross-boundary vehicles, the cross-boundary traffic movement patterns can be gauged with greater accuracy.

The information collected will provide essential data for cross-boundary infrastructure and land-use planning when formulating Hong Kong's long-term development options.

About 64,000 respondents, including 14,000 drivers, will be selected at random for the survey conducted by Nielsen Company (Hong Kong). They will be invited to complete a questionnaire, which will take less than five minutes. All information will be kept confidential.

The 11 boundary crossings are the airport, Lo Wu Terminus, Hung Hom Station, the China Ferry Terminal, Macau Ferry Terminal, Tuen Mun Ferry Terminal, and control points at the Lok Ma Chau Spur Line, Man Kam To, Sha Tau Kok, Lok Ma Chau and Shenzhen Bay.

Survey results will be available by the third quarter of next year. It is the Government's sixth cross-boundary travel survey. The previous surveys were conducted in 1999, 2001, 2003, 2006 and 2007.