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Officials fail to postpone increases in tunnel toll

Elaine Wu

Transport officials have failed to secure further concessions for motorists facing an average 67 per cent rise in tolls for using the Eastern Harbour Tunnel from May 1, nor have they persuaded the operators to put off the increases.

Annie Choi Suk-han, deputy secretary for the environment, transport and works, said government officials had a meeting with executives from the company operating the Eastern Harbour Crossing and had several telephone and e-mail exchanges with them since last month's announcement of the increases.

'We have been contacting the tunnel company to request more concessions or to delay the increase,' she said. 'For now, there is no new progress.'

Ms Choi was addressing a meeting of the Legislative Council committee considering the Eastern Harbour Crossing Ordinance.

New Hong Kong Tunnel Company, the tunnel's operator, has agreed to give taxi and minibus drivers two months' and five months' grace respectively before imposing the higher tolls, but it has not granted drivers of private cars a similar concession.

Legislators have expressed surprise and dissatisfaction with the toll increases and say they could worsen congestion in the government-owned Cross-Harbour Tunnel.

Transport officials are considering two options to mitigate the impact of the increases. These are extending the length of the eastern and western harbour tunnel operators' contracts to give them more time to realise their expected return on investment, or granting concessions to drivers using the costlier tunnels.

Legco's transport panel will discuss these options with representatives of the eastern tunnel's operator next week.

In January the operator was granted the right to increase its toll to achieve a rate of return on investment of 15 to 17 per cent during its 30-year right to operate the tunnel.

The toll increase from $10 to $30 per vehicle is scheduled to begin on May 1.

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