PEOPLE have been able to withdraw both RMB and Hong Kong dollars from 110 Bank of China ATMs at 75 stations across Hong Kong’s metro network since Monday, the Southern Metropolis Daily reported yesterday.

Passengers are able to withdraw a maximum of 10,000 yuan (US$8,780) per day. A higher upper limit of 20,000 yuan is available on application. Bankcard users may also withdraw RMB from accounts denominated in Hong Kong dollars by selecting an exchange service offered.

ATM frontages at the metro stations have been changed, with Hong Kong dollar and yuan signs now displayed prominently alongside one another. The machines’ operation is otherwise unchanged. A service charge of 15 yuan is levied on mainland bankcards.

The move has been broadly welcomed by residents who often travel between Shenzhen and Hong Kong. “It makes life much more convenient, saving time and the difficulty of negotiating the variable exhange rates offered at local bureaux de change,” said a traveller in Hong Kong from the mainland surnamed Chen. (Graham Nelson)