Since the implementation of policies allowing vehicles from Macau to circulate in Guangdong Province and motor vehicles from Macau to circulate in Hengqin, the Government has introduced several improvements. These include simplifying application and renewal procedures, as well as promoting the recognition—by Mainland China and Hong Kong—of mandatory vehicle inspections conducted in Macau, with the aim of reducing redundant inspections. This work is commendable.
Currently, local vehicles operating in Guangdong and Hengqin must renew their license annually. In addition to the application, if the vehicle is not subject to a mandatory inspection in Macau, it still needs to undergo a technical inspection at a designated entity. Several stages of this process could still be streamlined to make life easier for residents.
In this regard, as the connections between Macau, Hengqin, and the Greater Bay Area strengthen, there is a continuous demand for cross-border travel between Guangdong and Macau, which has led to an increase in the number of vehicles requiring license renewal. It is therefore recommended that the renewal cycle for licenses of Macau vehicles operating in Guangdong and Hengqin be extended from one to two years, and that procedures be simplified and the administrative process optimized, making it more convenient for the population.
On another note, vehicles from the Special Administrative Regions (SARs) that enter and exit Guangdong Province via the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge Control Post currently benefit from mutual insurance recognition. This means that owners are not required to purchase separate insurance policies for each region.
However, local vehicles circulating in Hengqin are still required to purchase a specific third-party liability insurance for Mainland China, meaning owners must maintain separate insurance for Macau and for the Mainland. In this context, it is recommended that the policy of mutual recognition of insurance be extended, in order to avoid duplicate policies for vehicle owners, facilitate driver mobility through various measures, create institutional support for the “one-hour living circle” concept in the Greater Bay Area, and promote mutual connectivity.
Macau Federation of Trade Unions
