Hong Kong residents flocked to the mainland on Friday for the Double-Ninth Festival long weekend holiday. RTHK spoke to some residents queuing for a bus to Heung Yuen Wai Control Point at Fanling. "I will explore around Liantang, just to walk around, and I will return today," a man surnamed Wong said. Meanwhile, a woman surnamed Yip said she travels to Shenzhen every month. "I am going to Shenzhen to have fun, maybe I'll get hotpot. I'm heading there because it's a holiday today, and my mom is with me. I want to relax myself, because I always stay in Hong Kong. I want to go to other places and walk around." Special transport arrangements were made to accommodate travellers. The transport department said the vehicle clearance plaza towards Zhuhai direction at Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge remained busy, and waiting times for the shuttle bus were extended. The department reminded residents travelling to Zhuhai or Macau to plan ahead and allow more time for journeys. At West Kowloon station, announcements were made to remind the public to leave sufficient time to complete immigration procedures. Police earlier called on the public to make use of different ports to enter the mainland, as waiting times for cars to cross the border at Shenzhen Bay Port may exceed one hour. MTR said train services will be strengthened during the long weekend period, with waiting times shortened on the East Rail Line and Island Line. According to the Immigration Department, more than 570,000 people left the city on Thursday, which was more than 1.5 times the number the day before. Among the people who made their departures, around 480,000 of them were Hong Kong residents.
