Secretary for Security Chris Tang said arrangements at border control points were smooth, as travellers returned to the mainland in the early hours of January 1 following countdown celebrations. The Shenzhen Bay Control Point operated overnight; and the Lo Wu Control Point, which usually closes at midnight, extended its service hours to 2am. The operation of the East Rail line was also extended. The government said 400,000 people watched the fireworks display over Victoria Harbour. It added that between midnight and 6:30am, around 25,000 mainland visitors departed Hong Kong via land boundary control points. Some of the tourists RTHK spoke to said they were satisfied with the transport arrangements. Unlike last year when many visitors were left stranded after trains stopped running, one said everything was a lot smoother this time around. "We were stuck here last year... for four to five hours. We also celebrated the New Year [in Hong Kong] last year. It's more convenient this year," she told RTHK. Another traveller said thanks to the extension of service hours on the East Rail line and the Lo Wu Control Point, he could return to the mainland easily. "If not, I would have to go to Mong Kok to take the overnight bus, so I saved about an hour," he said. Security chief Chris Tang, who earlier inspected the Lo Wu crossing, said he was pleased that visitors were able to cross the border smoothly and quickly. Asked whether MTR lines and control points can further extend their service hours in future, he said the authorities have to consider different factors. "It's impossible for all border control points to operate overnight. We have to look at the necessity, and how we utilise our resources," Tang said.
