Northern District Community Service Consultative Council Deputy Convener Kou Ngon Fong quoted Public Security Police (PSP) officials as saying that the average daily number of entries and exits during the mainland’s recent five-day Labour Day Golden Week holiday was 598,000, of which 52,000 were visitors through the Barrier Gate checkpoint while only 6,000 visitors used the Macau-Zhuhai Qingmao pedestrian border checkpoint.
Kou made the remarks during a press briefing after the council’s closed-door meeting with PSP officials about the cross-border flow of locals and visitors recorded at various checkpoints during the May Day Golden Week holiday.
Kou quoted PSP officers as saying they believed that visitors’ preference for passing through the Barrier Gate checkpoint was due to the fact that the public transport amenities there are well-developed, and also because visitors are still unfamiliar with the Qingmao pedestrian border checkpoint.
Kou also said that in the future, the local government will work with the mainland authorities to produce publicity videos to encourage visitors to use alternative checkpoints, so as to reduce crowds and enhance their travelling experience when entering and exiting Macau.
Meanwhile, Kou also said that more than 200,000 residents have already registered with the iris recognition system since its launch in October last year, and 71 additional channels equipped with the iris recognition system will be installed this year at more checkpoints in Macau, including the Macau Port checkpoint of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge (HZMB), Taipa Ferry Terminal, Outer Harbour Ferry Terminal and Inner Harbour Ferry Terminal to improve immigration clearance efficiency and experience.
Kou quoted a committee member’s concern about privacy protection when using the iris recognition system. He quoted the PSP officials as saying during the meeting that a balance would be struck on various fronts to ensure that personal data would not be leaked.
Northern District Community Service Consultative Council Deputy Convener Kou Ngon Fong (left) addresses a press briefing after yesterday’s closed-door meeting with Public Security Police (PSP) officers yesterday, as fellow councillor Zeng Zengwei looks on. – Photo: Ginnie Liang
