Hong Kong ombudsman criticises Transport Department for ‘over-optimistic’ HKeToll launch, 18,000 undelivered vehicle tags
- Watchdog probe finds 18,000 tags went undelivered in January last year ahead of HKeToll launch, which itself was later delayed
- Transport authorities say programming errors between government system and HKeToll resulted in some addresses being incorrectly transferred
In a report released on Wednesday, the watchdog said it found that tags had not reached applicants by mail in January last year ahead of the launch of the HKeToll system.
The ombudsman also pointed to delays in rolling out the system, which allows drivers to pay using the tags without having to stop or queue at booths.
“We urge the department to learn from this case. It should set a reasonable schedule for implementing any new transport schemes or measures in future, and announce the implementation date and details of the new schemes or measures as soon as possible,” the ombudsman said.
The investigation was triggered by a motorist who complained that he had not received his tag, which is required for payment at government-run tunnels using the system, as scheduled after applying to the Transport Department in January last year.
When he called the HKeToll operator to inquire, he was told the department had provided it with an incorrect address. Further checks with the department confirmed the address was correct and the operator ultimately asked him to collect the tag in person at a service centre.