Hong Kong urged to impose stiffer fees to unclog roads

Congestion charges and higher penalties for illegal parking are among a dozen suggestions that transport advisers have put to the government to free up the roads and clean the air.

Many of the ideas, however, got the thumbs down from a transport expert who felt their impact on easing traffic jams would be minimal or short-lived.

The city had limited scope for more road infrastructure and should take "immediate action" to contain congestion, according to the transport advisory committee's report, issued yesterday.

The committee identified excessive vehicle numbers and competition for road space as key causes of the clogged streets.

"We cannot afford to sit still and let the worsening traffic affect our quality of life," committee chairman Larry Kwok Lam-kwong said.

"Some of the suggested measures may entail inconvenience to some road users … but all road users will in turn benefit from shorter travel time and a better environment."

The report, compiled over eight months, said the number of licensed vehicles rose 30 per cent from 523,000 in 2003 to 681,000 last year. But in the same period, average car speeds fell 11 per cent to just 23 km/h. Air quality also worsened.