Editorial | Adjustments to tunnel tolls long time coming
- It will be a feather in the cap for Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee if the new charges are approved by lawmakers and cross-harbour congestion is eased
Traffic jams at the city’s cross-harbour tunnels have long been a nightmare for commuters. The problem is not just the result of unequal tolls among the three tunnels and unchecked vehicle growth over the years, but also the indecision of successive governments over adjusting charges for the available routes.
This sorry state of affairs reflects poorly on governance and undermines the city’s economic productivity and quality of life.
Thankfully, there seems to light at the end of the tunnel. To help spread out the traffic, the Transport and Logistics Bureau has suggested raising the tolls for private vehicles at the congested Cross-Harbour Tunnel and Eastern Harbour Tunnel – by HK$10 and HK$5, respectively – to HK$30, while lowering to HK$60 the toll for the Western Harbour Tunnel, HK$15 less than the current charge.
Taxis would pay HK$25 across all three routes, aligning with the current toll for the Eastern Harbour Tunnel. This means a HK$15 rise for Cross-Harbour Tunnel users, but HK$45 less for the Western Harbour Tunnel.
Subject to lawmakers’ approval, the changes will come into effect when the government takes over the operation of the Western Harbour Tunnel on August 2 next year and has control over all three routes. But a proposal on rush-hour congestion charges will only be considered after reviewing the effectiveness of the revamped tolls.