Charge same toll at tunnels

Various readers have written to these columns, offering suggestions as to how to solve the traffic congestion which continues to plague the Cross-Harbour Tunnel, including one written by Roger Owens on January 18, proposing that only public transport be allowed to use the Cross-Harbour Tunnel.

It seems to me that one obvious solution to the problem is the equalisation of the toll charged by all three tunnels, because it is clear that motorists are opting to use the Cross-Harbour Tunnel because it costs substantially less.

The toll for the Cross-Harbour Tunnel and the Eastern Harbour Crossing could be raised to the same level as the Western Harbour Crossing; or the toll for the Western Harbour Crossing could be reduced to match a new toll to be set for all three.

Since this will attract traffic to the Western Harbour Crossing, the operator perhaps would not object to reducing the toll.

However, I cannot speak for the tunnel operators, or for those others who seem to have more ideas for overcoming traffic congestion at the Cross-Harbour Tunnel than the Government.

This leads to the question: why can't we have public consultation on this issue? Let the public as well as the franchisees speak.

ALEX TAM Mid-Levels