Hong Kong transport commissioner apologises for e-toll delay fiasco amid public backlash over application process

Hong Kong’s commissioner for transport on Tuesday apologised for a fiasco which saw authorities delaying a new electronic toll payment system amid a public backlash over red tape slowing down applications for vehicle tags.

The Transport Department announced on Monday the launch of the new e-toll system on the Tsing Sha Highway, connecting Tsing Yi and Sha Tin, would be pushed back from February 26 to May 7. It planned to implement the new arrangement at all government-tolled tunnels this year.

“I wish to apologise to car owners whose toll tag did not arrive on time,” commissioner Rosanna Law Shuk-pui told a radio programme on Tuesday after residents took to the airwaves to complain about the lengthy delivery process and unclear guidelines of the application.

An elderly citizen said she applied for the tag when she renewed her vehicle licence in May last year but did not receive it. She called the hotline and visited the licensing office, but the staff could not update her application. She was only told to apply again online, but she struggled to fill out the form.

Another caller complained the government had not provided enough information, questioning what he could do if the vehicle tag did not work or if he wanted to get a new car.

Law said more than 240,000 vehicle owners had applied for the tag when they renewed their registration last year. But around 16,000 applications were not processed because of system inconsistencies between the Transport Department and the contractor.