The Immigration Department expects 6.04 million people to pass through land, sea and air control points during the Labour Day Festive Period, up 13.8% on the same period last year. Among them, 4.68 million will travel by land, up 15.3%.

Assistant Director of Immigration Chiu Wai-kai expects the peak to fall between April 29 and May 8, and about 2.88 million passengers, an average of 288,000 daily, will travel through the Lo Wu control point.

The number of departing passengers at Lo Wu is expected to peak at 200,000 on April 29, while the arrival peak will be May 1 at 210,000. Highest daily traffic will be 340,000 on April 29.

Passenger traffic at Lok Ma Chau checkpoint will also be heavy, with 1.54 million passengers forecast - a daily average of 154,000 - up 24.9%. Peak departures will be April 29 with about 89,000 people leaving for the Mainland. Arrivals will peak at 106,000 on May 1. Daily traffic will reach a high of 173,000 on May 5.

Relieving congestion

The department and the Shenzhen authorities will strengthen co-operation to ensure orderly movements across the boundary. If necessary, the Lo Wu control point will implement the Contra-flow Scheme to relieve congestion.

Lok Ma Chau control point will activate the Dual-facing Counter Unidirectional Application mode during the peak arrival period. The number of clearance counters for arriving visitors will rise from 34 to a maximum of 58.