DUE to the increasing demand for license plates that allow vehicles to travel across the Hong Kong-mainland border, sales of dual license plates on the city’s black market have been increasingly strong in recent years.

    The average price of dual license plates has reached about 700,000 yuan (US$114,013), 600,000 yuan more than the average price a few years ago. For some buyers, it’s a business investment — cars that take mainland passengers to Hong Kong and back can earn more than HK$60,000 (US$7,727) a month, according to Shenzhen Evening News.

    Huanggang Checkpoint in Futian District and Shenzhen Bay Checkpoint in Nanshan District have been the major issuers of dual plates for Hong Kong vehicles, the newspaper reported.

    As of the end of May, about 28,100 cars were issued cross-border plates. About 25,900 of those cars were owned by the Hong Kong government or qualified Hong Kong companies, and the rest were owned by mainland governments or companies.

    Dual license plates are issued by Guangdong Province’s traffic management bureau and can be difficult to obtain because of high standards for applicants.

    Regulations require applicants to invest US$400,000 in a business entity in rural Guangdong and pay an annual tax of 150,000 yuan, or invest US$1 million in a business entity in urban Guangdong and pay an annual tax of 300,000 yuan.

    Philanthropists who have donated more than 10 million yuan in the province are also eligible for a dual license plate.

    Dual plates cannot be transferred or rented.

    However, some cross-border drivers are capitalizing on the increasing number of travelers going to Hong Kong in vans to save time. Some companies even help such people get dual plates so they can offer pickup services to travelers.

    The newspaper said there are several ways to obtain dual license plates outside the regular norms. Some people buy a shell company that meets the standards for obtaining dual plates, for example, while others register a company in Hong Kong and pretend to invest in Guangdong to get the plates, the newspaper said.

    It can cost as much as 650 yuan to buy a ride to Hong Kong from Shenzhen and passengers often have to pay 50 yuan extra if the van has to pick them up.

    “A car or van can make 5,000 to 6,000 yuan by going to Hong Kong three times a day. It is very convenient. Just give us a call and we can pick you up wherever you want,” a driver of a dual-plate car told the Evening News.

    The vehicle administration department of the provincial public security bureau said it’s not legal to sell or rent cross-border license plates, and car owners will be punished if they’re found to be involved in such activities.

    (Wang Yuanyuan, Lai Junyu)