Hong Kong motorists complain after being caught out by tunnel not using HKeToll, venting anger online over ‘penalty trap’ amid confusion
- Privately operated Tai Lam Tunnel is one of few to not use HKeToll, with drivers saying they were unaware and later charged for missing payments
- Image of banner at tunnel telling drivers they cannot pay using government service has gone viral, as residents complain about different systems in use
Hong Kong motorists have complained after being caught out by a tunnel that does not use the government’s new electronic toll payment system, taking to social media to vent their frustration over penalty fees they have incurred amid the confusion.
The Tai Lam Tunnel, which is privately operated and connects Ting Kau and Yuen Long, is one of the few not covered by the HKeToll system. Drivers instead pay manually or through the tunnel’s own automatic toll service.
Financial adviser Lynne Lee-Humbert, 38, said she was shocked when she received a letter from the tunnel operator in late November, asking her to pay the HK$58 (US$7) toll she owed and an extra HK$120 administrative fee.
“I was meeting my client and driving from Tsuen Wan to Kam Tin through the [tunnel’s] existing auto-toll lane at the toll plaza,” she said. “I’m now getting used to not stopping at the toll booths after using the HKeToll for months. I did not realise this tunnel did not use the system.”
An image of a banner outside the tunnel telling drivers that they cannot pay using the HKeToll service has gone viral on social media, with residents complaining about the different systems in use.
“The administrative fee is just not reasonable,” Lee-Humbert said. “The government also needs to remind all drivers to not fall into this ‘penalty trap’.”
Sales manager Stanley Lam Chun-keung, 32, shared a similar experience where he forgot to stop and pay the toll. But he managed to get the administrative charge waived as he paid the fee within three days in person, he said.
“I rang the tunnel company and the staff told me to pay in three business days at the administrative building located near the toll plaza,” Lam said. “It was quite far away, but I need to make the trip to avoid being fined, despite spending time and gas money.
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“It feels like the operation of public transport arteries by private enterprises appears to be slowing down Hong Kong’s progress towards a more technology-driven future,” he added.
The tunnel is operated by the Route 3 (CPS) Company under a 30-year build-operate-transfer arrangement with the government, which expires in 2025.
Ringo Lee Yiu-pui, the honorary life president of the Hong Kong Automobile Association, said the government should be flexible and coordinate with the operator to adopt the HKeToll system, which began rolling out in May, instead of waiting to take back the tunnel.
“The government’s implementation of HKeToll aims to provide a smoother experience for drivers,” he said. “It doesn’t have to take action after 2025 as it has the hardware ready. The situation at the Tai Lam Tunnel is not ideal and fails to consider the perspective of drivers.”
Lee urged the current operator to “exercise discretion” in handling cases of drivers who might have been unaware of the arrangement and had not paid the toll.
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The Transport Department stressed that the toll amount and the administrative fee were set by the operator.
It said the company had put up notices and banners to remind motorists that HKeToll was not applicable and made announcements inside the tunnel to remind drivers to pay manually in cash or register and use its separate automatic toll lanes.
“HKeToll will be implemented at all government tunnels including the Aberdeen Tunnel [this year] and the Tai Lam Tunnel after the government’s takeover of the ownership upon the expiry of its build-operate-transfer franchise in May 2025,” a department spokesman said.
The HKeToll system is in place at the Tsing Sha control area, Shing Mun Tunnel, Lion Rock Tunnel, cross-harbour tunnels and Tate’s Cairn Tunnel.
Drivers using Hong Kong’s Tai Lam Tunnel face 7% toll rise on average
Drivers can pay using toll tags, without having to stop or queue at booths. More than 810,000 vehicle tags have already been issued by authorities, accounting for more than 99 per cent of the licensed vehicles in the city.
The company said it had discussions with the government to explore the feasibility of implementing the HKeToll system for the Tai Lam Tunnel, but both agreed to adopt the system after the franchise takeover in May 2025.
The company’s website noted that drivers were responsible for paying the toll and could contact staff immediately to avoid the administrative fee and potential prosecution.
It said the toll area of the “Route 3 Country Park Section”, the 10.1km (6.3 miles) stretch of road where the tunnel is located, included multiple entrances and exits where all motorists within the vicinity, including those who entered mistakenly, were required to pay.
Government-operated tunnels allow drivers to pay the missed tolls within 14 business days. A surcharge of HK$175 applies if payment is still not made, which rises to HK$350 after 21 days.
