The new Qingmao Checkpoint opened Wednesday, becoming the fifth land-based border between Macau and Zhuhai and an effective channel to ease growing pressure on passenger flow at the Gongbei Border Gate
The opening ceremony of the Qingmao Checkpoint was held at 11am before a 3pm opening, with Chief Executive of Macau SAR Ho Iat Seng, Vice-Chairman of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference Edmund Ho Hau-wah and the Governor of Guangdong Province Ma Xingrui all present.
“It carries great significance for Macau in terms of advancing society and livelihood-related issues, as well as in the economic and political fields,” Ho said during a speech
“The Qingmao Checkpoint was one of the major projects for building a rapid-transport network within the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, as mentioned in the Outline Development Plan for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.”
The current Gongbei Border Gate recorded a daily average of 400,000 crossings in 2019 before the outbreak of COVID-19. The new checkpoint is located just 800 meters from the Gongbei Border Gate and is able to serve 200,000 crossings per day via 50 inbound and 50 outbound automated inspection channels, It will provide overflow capacity in support of the Border Gate.
The new checkpoint operates 24 hours a day and implements a “Joint Inspection and One-Time Release” system by which Macau ID holders and visitors registered to use automated boundary crossing channels only need to pass border controls once.
