Truck drivers warn shortages possible in HK

Stanley Chiang says as many as 10,000 truck drivers will be affected by new restrictions on border crossings. Photo: RTHK

Cross-border truck drivers warned on Thursday of a shortage of mainland imports as authorities in Shenzhen further tighten border controls in view of the coronavirus pandemic, requiring drivers to provide proof of their health status when entering.



The Hong Kong Land Transport Council cited mainland authorities as saying that the new restriction would take effect from Saturday.



Its chairman, Stanley Chiang, said as many as 10,000 cross-border truck drivers would be affected.



He warned of another wave of panic buying in Hong Kong if there is a shortage of food and daily necessities imported from the mainland.



He said the council would meet Transport Secretary Frank Chan on Thursday afternoon to discuss the problem.



Chiang said he hoped mainland authorities would defer the restriction and that the SAR government would provide tests and health certificates for the drivers.



Hong Kong went through a period of panic buying earlier in the Covid-19 outbreak, which saw supermarket shelves stripped bare of various daily items.



Some cleaning products are still harder to find than usual, and shops have had signs up in recent days warning customers of limits on how much rice or eggs they could buy.