A new proposed route for the Tseung Kwan O-Lam Tin Tunnel is promising to save nine hectares of land from being used for a toll plaza, but asks drivers to put their full faith in electronic payment technology.
The land - the size of about 18 soccer pitches - would be saved with the proposed route only if the community in Sai Kung and Tseung Kwan O agreed to forgo a traditional tunnel toll plaza in favour of sole use of an electronic charging system, the Civil Engineering and Development Department said yesterday.
While a district councillor and some drivers welcomed the latest proposal for the tunnel, a car owners' group warned the government that a good backup plan would be needed in case the electronic charging system broke down, and Sai Kung district councillor Christine Fong Kwok-shan even said using the tunnel should be free of charge.
An electronic road payment system is used at the exits of all major tunnels in Hong Kong, but cash payment is also available at toll booths since not all drivers in the city are equipped with the Autotoll system used for electronic payment.
Wong Wai-ming, chief engineer of the project, said a detailed study would be launched into payment systems after a route was selected.
'There is more than one way to do it; drivers can pre-pay the charges and have the toll deducted from their smart card every time they cross the tunnel, or our device can record their car plate number and we can pursue payment from them later. It would be a breakthrough to jump from the concept of a toll plaza [to this]. If the idea proves effective maybe future tunnels could adopt it as well.'