New e-channels to speed up HZMB boundary crossings

Permanent residents entering and leaving the SAR through the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge will soon be able to pass the boundary in about five seconds as the Immigration Department gives its contactless e-channels an upgrade. The Immigration Department on Thursday said it had set up two seamless e-channels at the departure hall to test its new clearance system. The channels use AI technology to facilitate clearances. Five cameras will be installed at varying heights and angles along the new lanes to capture travellers' appearances and make comparisons with the department's database. From June 25, registered users will be able to get through without stopping to complete their immigration formalities, shortening the time for passing the boundary by three seconds, compared with existing e-channels. Gates will automatically close only if any anomalies are detected, and immigration officers will therefore intervene. The department's Assistant Director, Or Chung-yuk, said the HK$6 million system has logged an accuracy of over 99 percent during initial testing. He also said the department would make more promotions to explain how to use the new lanes in order to ease congestion. "We would expect users of this e-channel to just simply walk through the e-channels with a normal walking pace, and maintain a normal distance between those in front and behind them," Or said. "Keeping an arm's length with other users should be okay for the smooth operation of the e-channels," he added. Permanent residents who have used the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge 10 times or more over the past 90 days can register for the service via a mobile app. Or said this is expected to benefit 50,000 people. He also said the department would analyse data collected during the testing period, and look into the possibility of expanding the service to other boundary points. Edited by Tony Sabine