Time to pay up: Hong Kong parking fines to increase by 50pc from 2017 to tackle city traffic
The transport minister adds that public to be consulted over electronic road pricing pilot scheme in Central
Parking fines will increase by 50 per cent in 2017 while the public will be consulted on an electronic road pricing pilot scheme in Central, the transport minister announced today in an effort to tackle the city’s notorious traffic congestion.
Secretary for Transport and Housing Professor Anthony Cheung Bing-leung told the media that the sharp hike in the fines was necessary as it had not been increased since 1994.
“During that time, consumer prices have increased by 50 per cent,” said Cheung of the 21-year period. “Illegal parking cases also increased by 44 per cent from 750,000 cases in 2010 to about 1.08 million last year.”
READ MORE: Want to solve Hong Kong’s out-of-control illegal parking problem? Raise the fine to HK$2,500
He said the 50 per cent increase meant that the current fines, HK$320 and HK$450 for different vehicles, would be raised to HK$480 and HK$680 respectively.
The government was also launching a three-month public consultation on how to implement electronic road pricing in Central, the city’s financial district.
Cheung said it was a question of how, not whether, the pricing system should be implemented. But he said when, how and how much a driver would be charged, as well as how much it would cost, would be answered after the consultation exercise.