THE Shenzhong Link officially opened at 3 p.m. yesterday. A nonstop bus carrying more than 20 passengers was the first vehicle to pass the Cuiheng East Tollgate for a journey from Zhongshan to Hong Kong. Li Lixin, the bus driver, had been waiting at the tollgate since 10 a.m. “As a driver of the Guangdong-Hong Kong direct bus, driving through this magnificent and grand project spanning the Lingding Sea makes me feel extremely proud and excited. I will do my best to ensure that the passengers have a safe and smooth journey,” Li said. One of the passengers, a man surnamed Chen, had returned to Zhongshan for the weekend and specifically took this bus ride to experience the new route. “I’ve been looking forward to the opening of the Shenzhong Link. It will make commuting much more convenient in the future,” said Chen, who works in Hong Kong. Chen’s wife and child live in Zhongshan, and he used to see them every two weeks. “Previously, a single trip would typically take three to four hours, leaving me exhausted by the time I got home. With the opening of the Shenzhong Link, I will definitely visit Zhongshan more often.” With the opening of the Shenzhong Link, Shenzhen and Zhongshan are now within a 30-minute commuting radius. Prior to the link’s opening, it took Zhongshan residents more than three hours to travel to Hong Kong. Now, with the direct bus route using the link, the trip will take less than two hours. According to Luo Chengzhen, general manager of the operator of the direct bus route, Guangdong-Hong Kong Bus Transport Operation Co., the company has altered nine routes between the western side of the Pearl River Delta and Hong Kong to use the link. This includes routes to the cities of Zhongshan, Jiangmen, Zhaoqing, and Yunfu. (Han Ximin) | 