The first cross-border bus transporting scientific research personnel between the Shenzhen and Hong Kong parks of the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Cooperation Zone departed Monday. This new service is the result of a plan released by the State Council last year for the Shenzhen Park of the zone.
"This direct cross-border bus service is fantastic. The government, customs, and immigration inspection departments have been very considerate! We truly appreciate Hetao's efforts in facilitating cross-border transportation," said a scientific researcher who rode on the bus.
The initiative is expected to increase the circulation of elements of innovation, such as funding and personnel, between Shenzhen and Hong Kong, attract more international talent, and emphasize the unique advantages of the cooperation zone.
More than 2,000 people working in the Shenzhen Park of the zone frequently commute between Shenzhen and Hong Kong, and that number is expected to grow.
In June, Shenzhen received authorization from Guangdong's provincial police authority to allow vehicles to use a special channel for crossing the border. Currently, the first batch of 11 vehicles owned by scientific research institutes, such as the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Research Institute (Futian) of The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) and the Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Research Institute (Futian) of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, have received passes from the municipal traffic police bureau.
By investigating customs clearance needs and delegating approval authority, the bus service has significantly improved the customs clearance experience. The "point-to-point" commute time for scientific researchers traveling from the Shenzhen Park to the Hong Kong Park will be reduced to approximately 35 minutes from 50 minutes.
In the future, the Shenzhen Park will continue to optimize and enhance cross-border access services between the Shenzhen and Hong Kong parks, aiming to elevate Shenzhen-Hong Kong cooperation to a higher level.