The Western Harbour Crossing will raise gazetted tolls by more than 15 per cent from Monday, but motorists will not pay more immediately.
The Western Harbour Tunnel Company said it would grant concessions, which means drivers will continue to pay existing tolls for the time being. It did not say when they would be removed.
The gazetted increase, announced by the government and the company yesterday, follows recent increases by other tunnel operators and brought renewed calls by legislators for a halt to the spiralling costs. Tolls have also increased at the Eastern Harbour and Tai Lam tunnels and tolls at the Tate's Cairn Tunnel will rise by up to 30 per cent from Monday.
'The government is just helpless, they can do nothing about the ever-increasing tolls of basically every tunnel,' fumed unionist legislator Wong Kwok-hing.
A spokesman for the Environment, Transport and Works Bureau said the western tunnel operator was entitled to increase its tolls when its net revenue fell short of the estimated statutory minimum of $880 million specified in its agreement with the government.
The company's results showed net revenue of $400 million in the year to July last year.