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Written by: Huang Weilun
2020-09-22 08:00
Last update date: 2020-09-22 08:00
The Hong Kong section of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong high-speed rail will enter its second anniversary tomorrow (23rd).
In the past, many people had dreams of high-speed rail, hoping to flex their muscles and profit from it, but since the opening of traffic, the flow of people has not been as ideal.
Under the new crown pneumonia, all industries have been greatly affected, and the high-speed rail station has been closed since January 30 because of the high-speed rail in the Hong Kong section.
Under the epidemic, the West Kowloon Station of the high-speed rail, which cost more than 10 billion yuan to build, temporarily has the biggest function as a taxi "drying yard".
The government earlier decided to lease the station parking lot to the taxi industry at a flat rate, so as to store "auspicious cars" that have not been rented for a long time.
According to industry sources, it is estimated that about 260 taxis are parked at the venue.
A proprietor who originally operated a restaurant in a high-speed rail station said that the monthly salary cost has reached 500,000 yuan since the station was closed.
The performance of the high-speed rail was not as expected. Coupled with the epidemic, the rents of the nearby "Bawen Building" at Jordan Ferry Point have dropped.
According to a property consultant, the rents of commercial shops in the area have been reduced by about 40%, but people have successively taken up leases, and the number of premises has been reduced from 10 at the peak to 3 shops.
The reporter visited the high-speed rail station a few days ago. Although the West 9th station of the high-speed rail is still closed due to the epidemic, the station is still brightly lit, and security guards and staff "start work".
At the beginning of the year, the MTR also stated that even if the West Kowloon Station is closed, there are actually trains arranged early in the morning and late at night to carry personnel from the Mainland port area to and from Hong Kong West Kowloon Station to Shenzhen Beihe Futian Station.
However, due to the suspension of the high-speed rail, the shops and restaurants in West Kowloon Station were also implicated.
The restaurant chain Tim Ho Wan has a branch in West Kowloon Station. The owner Mai Guipei said that the business of the high-speed rail station branch has been good in the past. Even if there is still a queue at 3 or 4 pm every day, its business volume accounts for all the stores. The business volume exceeds 20%.
However, Mai Guipei said frankly that he did not expect the high-speed rail station to be closed so far. Even if the MTR has arranged for rent-free, but because he does not want to lay off employees, he is currently temporarily transferring employees to other branches, but the monthly expenditure involved is about 500,000 yuan.
He also said that apart from the suspension of the high-speed rail station branch, the business of other branches has been affected by the epidemic, and the business has dropped by about 30%.
Station parking lot for taxis
Restricted by the Hong Kong government's anti-epidemic measures, high-speed rail operations have temporarily resumed indefinitely.
With the suspension of passenger services, the station is currently the biggest use to provide parking places for the taxi industry.
Affected by the epidemic, the livelihood of the taxi industry has plummeted. Many drivers have not rented their cars, and some car owners have been "drying their cars."
The Transport Department announced in mid-February that the parking lot in the high-speed rail station would be rented for taxi and long berths at a monthly rent of 300 yuan, providing a total of 480 berths.
According to the photos provided by the industry, there are still many taxis in the parking lot of West Kowloon Station.
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Zhou Guoqiang, Chairman of the Hong Kong Taxi and Minibus Chamber of Commerce, said that according to his estimates, there are currently about 260 taxis parked in the high-speed rail parking lot, but there are also other taxis parked in other government-provided parking lots. The current "drying rate" It is about 5%, which is a lot better than the 17% at the peak in March.
He said that under the epidemic, car owners will reduce rents and hope that drivers will continue to rent, but it is always difficult for some older taxis to rent out. In addition, parking spaces in Hong Kong are difficult to find and parking on the street is risky of copying license plates. He believes that the Hong Kong government will open the high-speed rail The practice of parking lots can help taxi owners.
40% rent reduction for shops at Ferry Point
Before the opening of the high-speed rail, it brought the dream of high-speed rail to many people, and once caused a wave of rent increases in nearby shops.
However, the flow of people on the high-speed rail has not been as expected. Mr. Lin, the head of the "High-speed Rail Property Consultant", said that before the opening of the high-speed rail, in the area around Bawen Building at Ferry Point, Jordan, as the owners were optimistic about the benefits of the high-speed rail, the rent of shops increased for a while, but after the opening to traffic It was found that the high-speed rail flow would never reach the area. The pharmacy that was originally intended to be the main business of the mainlanders, after repeated rent reductions by the owner, reduced the monthly rent from 35,000 yuan to 23,000 yuan, and could not operate it.
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Mr. Lin said that under the epidemic, in February and March, there were about 10 "grant shops" in the area. However, as the owners reduced their rents, the shops were taken over and the remaining 3 shops were still empty.
For example, he pointed out that a shop with a monthly rent of 40,000 to 50,000 yuan has now been reduced to 25,000 to 30,000 yuan. Based on this calculation, the rent will be reduced by about 40%.
He also revealed that the original shop of the new tea restaurant where the taxi group had been infected has been sold.
Tim Kee's French sandwiches have been in operation on Wenyuan Street for about 30 years. The person in charge, Mr. Xu, said that the high-speed rail has never been open to traffic in the area. "It has its own expectations, but (travelers) don't know where it is."
He continued that at that time, the rent of some shops was increased due to the opening of the high-speed rail, but he was fortunate not to increase the rent.
Mr. Xu said that business has been reduced by about one-third due to the impact of the epidemic, and the gathering restrictions have greatly reduced the flow of people.
However, since its store is mainly engaged in takeaway, it can still maintain its operation.
He also pointed out that there was a hot pot nearby that was originally expanded to 3 shops, but now it has been reduced in scale and only one shop remains.
High Speed Rail West Kowloon Station Retail Road
