Adjust Hong Kong harbour tunnel tolls when Central-Wan Chai Bypass opens, top transport adviser says

The "appropriate time" to redistribute traffic between the city's three harbour tunnels by adjusting tolls will come only when the Central-Wan Chai Bypass comes into operation in a few years' time, the government's top transport adviser said.

Larry Kwok Lam-kwong, chairman of the Transport Advisory Committee, said yesterday the government would take control of the Eastern Harbour Tunnel upon expiry in August next year of the franchise held by New Hong Kong Tunnel Company.

Speaking after a meeting with transport officials, Kwok said the government had no plans to increase the toll level for the eastern tunnel after taking back control. "In other words, from the tunnel users' point of view, there will be no difference before and after the government's takeover," he said.

Kwok said the government had not discussed with him any plans to raise tolls in the future, but he believed the suitable time would be when the Central-Wan Chai Bypass was completed.

That was because the bypass would be able to ease traffic flow on Hong Kong Island, he said, and so then might be a suitable time to look into adjusting tolls.

Work on the bypass started in 2009 and is scheduled for completion in 2017. But Director of Highways Peter Lau Ka-keung said last month the bypass would not be completed as scheduled due to "unforeseen difficulties".