A lawmaker has urged the Hong Kong government to review laws banning darker-tinted car windows, after mainland Chinese vehicles with such windows were seen on the streets following the launch of a southbound travel scheme.
Legislator Chan Siu-hung made the remark on a Commercial Radio programme on Monday, about a week after the Southbound Travel for Guangdong Vehicles scheme began.
In recent days, netizens have pointed out that some mainland Chinese vehicles – recognisable by their licence plates that begin with “FT” – had darker-tinted windows, which are banned under Hong Kong laws.
“I think the Transport Department should review [the laws]. As [the laws] for cars from Guangdong coming into Hong Kong under the southbound travel scheme can be relaxed, there should be a comprehensive review of those Hong Kong laws,” Chan said in Cantonese.
“Right now, this gives people the impression of differential treatment, and that is not ideal,” he added.
Under the city’s Road Traffic (Construction and Maintenance of Vehicles) Regulations, windows on vehicles must meet certain opacity requirements.
The relevant clause in the regulations has not been revised for many years, Chan said.
The lawmaker said he understood that laws against darker-tinted glass “had their reasons at the time,” such as for law enforcement purposes, but that now technological advancements – like digital rearview mirrors – could also serve that purpose.
Ringo Lee, an honorary life president of the Hong Kong, China Automobile Association, told Sing Tao that many countries had relaxed their laws relating to tinted windows.
Tinted windows have energy-saving benefits, Lee said, referring to their ability to block sunlight and reduce interior heat.
“Why can other countries and places use [tinted windows in cars], but not Hong Kong?” he asked in Cantonese.
Southbound travel scheme
The travel scheme began on Tuesday, under which up to 100 cars from Guangdong province are permitted to drive into Hong Kong a day via the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HZMB).
The vehicles, which must have undergone inspections in mainland China and be covered by insurance, are allowed to remain in Hong Kong for up to three days at a time.
Last week, the Transport Department said it was investigating an incident in which a driver enabled his car’s self-driving function. According to local media, a video on Chinese social media platform Xiaohongshu showed the motorist driving hands-free as the vehicle changed lanes.
The department said such driving systems cannot be used on Hong Kong roads, adding that it had issued a warning to the driver.
HKFP has reached out to the Transport Department for comment.
The Southbound Travel Scheme followed the 2023 implementation of the Northbound Travel Scheme, which allows Hong Kong private cars to enter Guangdong via the HZMB.
The two schemes will add “extra impetus to the economies of Guangdong and Hong Kong as well as the integration and development” of the Greater Bay Area, the Transport and Logistics Bureau wrote in a paper published in October.
