世事万花筒World Focus　　2003.9.5

　　封面专题 Cover Story

　　过境之苦

　　Border Chaos

　　七月廿八日开始，内地逐步开放个人赴港旅游政策，为香港的经济注入强心针；但香港政府现有的过关配套如交通、关口卫生和综合设施等，未能跟上旅客量的增长。而政府的相应政策，显得缓慢及不负责任。

　　Since July 28, the "individual visit" scheme for Mainland tourists becomes the catalyst to Hong Kong’s economy. However, amenities like transportation, hygiene at checkpoints and other facilities still fall behind the extra travelers flow. However, the government seems a bit slow in launching corresponsive measures and is being feckless.

　　个人游刺激经济

　　近年来，香港已成为内地最大的旅游客源市场。是次中央政府同意放宽内地居民来港旅游的政策，原意是以旅游业来进一步刺激香港的整体经济。政策实施后，内地居民可以以个人身份访港，不需要像以往般硬性规定跟随旅行团。预计北京和上海的个人游措施实施后，未来一年将有超过一千万名内地旅客来港旅游消费，每年可为香港带来五百亿港元的外汇收入。

　　A Boost to the Economy

　　In recent years, Hong Kong has become the biggest market for Mainland tourists. With the central government’s open policy to allow residents in the Mainland to visit Hong Kong on an individual basis, this has given a boost to the region’s tourism and overall economy. Mainland residents then can come to Hong Kong on their own without signing up with travel agencies. Once the scheme is effective for Beijing and Shanghai, the arrival of Mainland tourists are expected to reach over 10 million and they will bring about HKD50 billion of extra money to Hong Kong in the coming year.

　　关口压力大增

　　虽然个人游有利香港经济，但排山倒海而来的人流，亦令粤港各陆路口岸的压力大增。香港与深圳现有四个陆路口岸，分别是罗湖、落马洲、文锦渡和沙头角，但当中超过九成、约每日廿七万人次的出入境旅客，都是从罗湖和落马洲两个口岸过关（见表一）。据统计，自广东省四市实施个人游以来，全省已经有约十万人递交个人游申请表。届时，已近饱和的罗湖和落马洲口岸，将要负担更多的过境旅客，令口岸出现大混乱。

　　Swarms of Pressure

　　Despite beneficial factors that will bring to Hong Kong, the influx of passengers will levy pressure to overland border crossings in both Guangdong and Hong Kong. At present, there are 4 overland border crossings in Hong Kong and Shenzhen, Lo Wu, Lok Ma Chau, Man Kam To and Sha Tau Kok. There are around 270,000 inbound and departing travelers, which are over 90% of every day’s count, passing through Lo Wu and Lok Ma Chau (refer to Table 1). Since residents in Guangdong Province are allowed to visit Hong Kong individually, there were around 100,000 applicants flying from over the region for registration. By that time, the two border crossings have to take up more passenger load and the situation will lead to chaos.

　　陆路交通久被忽略

　　其实，香港政府一向忽视香港出入境的陆路交通。九七年之后，往来两地的旅客每年以双位数字激增，由九七年每年约八十万过境人次，增加至二零零二年的一百二十多万人次（见表二）。但经过多年的检讨与改进，包括在假日加开关口柜位和自今年一月起的廿四小时通关等措施，过关的服务仍未有太大的改善，除了过关需时外，每逢长假期前后均见混乱。这都归咎于港政府未能了解陆路出入境的需求，并无积极寻求解决的办法，至个人游实施后，各口岸有手忙脚乱的感觉。

　　Overland Traffic Being Overlooked

　　To tell the truth, overland traffic improvement has been overlooked by the government. Since 1997, passenger flow has been increasing by more than 10%. In 1997, the annual influx reached 800,000 and added up to over 1,200,000 in 2002 (refer to Table 2). Years of analysis and betterment have led to opening of more checkpoint counters during holidays and extended border crossings to 24 hours services since January this year. However, there is not much improvement and as much time is needed for passengers to depart and the situation worsens before and after long holidays. The blame goes to the government which does not get on hand the real need for overland traffic and actively looks for measures. Since the “individual visits” scheme has put into action, all checkpoints are still in hurry-scurry.

　　过关配套未完善

　　根据本刊的实地视察，四个口岸现有的设备并不足以应付未来大量的访港旅客。四个口岸中以罗湖车站的设备最为完善，但近年由于旅客急遽增加，已达饱和状态；文锦渡和沙头角口岸，因位置与环境面积的关系，过关柜位和行车路不可能应付大量旅客；而落马洲的所有配套建设仍未完成，满目所见都是一片建筑工地，过关旅客要经过一串临时搭建出来的隧道，才能到达出入境大堂，加上卫生设备毫不完善，过关人士仍然要使用流动洗手间，很容易给访港旅客一个坏印象。

　　Unachieved Amenities

　　We have gone to the four control points and find that they are not well prepared to manage large numbers of future visitors. Lo Wu Station is the one with the most comprehensive facilities, but owing to run-up of passengers in recent years, it has reached saturation. While Man Kam To and Sha Tau Kok have their own limitations owing to their positions and plottage, both of them do not have sufficient checkpoint counters and traffic lines to tackle with the load. As in Lok Ma Chau, everything is still under construction and travelers have to pass through lash-up tunnels beside the site to reach the lobby. Sanitation is also a problem that arrests bad impression.

　　港府缺乏前瞻

　　去年，内地访港旅客达六百八十三万人次，约占全年访港旅客总数一千六百五十七万人次的百份之四十一。内地旅客基本上已成为本地旅游业的最大支柱，即使个人游政策未予实施，内地旅客的数量同样与日俱增，政府理应及早着手解决此问题。可惜，政府长期以来忽视陆路口岸的整体扎规划与建设，内境设施不堪入目。事实上，政府对内地与本港的往来交通，从来没有重视过，实在值得港府捡讨。

　　Lack of Foresight

　　Last year, the number of visiting passengers to Hong Kong has reached 6.83 million, which is 41% out of the total number of the 16.57 million visitors for the whole year. Actually, Mainland travelers have become the main support to Hong Kong tourism. Even the “individual visits” scheme has not been dispensed, the number of influx will still be increasing and the government should have solved the problems earlier. The government has for a long time overlooked overall planning and development of the overland ports, many of the transit facilities become an eyesore to outsiders. In fact, the government turns a blind eye to the traffic problem between Mainland and Hong Kong. That is worth a matter for it to give a well treat.

　　所需相关措施

　　口岸是香港的大门，绝对会影响内地旅客对香港的评价，而他们的评价，又足以影响香港未来旅游业的发展。故此，香港政府一定要长远及彻底地解决过境的人潮问题。除了要增加人手、简化程序、改善过境关口设备和增加交通班次外，更重要是尽快增加过境口岸的数目，加强与深圳方面的配合，共商解决辨法，例如提供优惠予沙头角及文锦渡过境的旅客，以便将旅客分流。而且，十．一黄金周将是内地旅客入境的高峰期，若香港政府在未来一个月内仍不加快改善所有配套，大混乱将势难避免。

　　The Required Measures

　　The ports are the gateway of Hong Kong and the judgment of Mainland travelers on Hong Kong will directly affect the future of Hong Kong’s tourism. The government should figure out measures that will solve the problem on mass influx in the long run. Which include increasing manpower, simplifying the process, improving facilities at checkpoints and incrementing traffic turns. What is more important is to increase the number of cross-border ports and work closely with Shenzhen to offer special privileges to passengers going through Sha Tau Kok and Man Kam To. The October 1 golden week will be the high time of incoming travelers. If Hong Kong government has not done its job to improve everything in a month’s time, we can tell the picture.