The government may increase tolls for Aberdeen Tunnel and Shing Mun Tunnel, as well as introduce fees for the soon-to-open Central Kowloon Route.
Some tunnels have not seen fare adjustments in decades and will be prioritized for review, citing the Aberdeen and Shing Mun tunnels as examples, Secretary for Transport and Logistics Mable Chan said today.
Currently, both Shing Mun and Aberdeen Tunnels charge a flat HK$5 toll, the cheapest in the city, with rates unchanged since 1993.
Central Kowloon Route May Introduce Toll for Users
Chan also revealed that authorities are looking at ways to cover costs for new infrastructure such as the HK$42.3 billion Central Kowloon Route, which is set to open by the end of this year after eight years of construction.
This would help manage traffic while keeping finances balanced, she added.
Central Kowloon Route (Photo: Government)
Lawmaker Michael Luk Chung-hung of the Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions criticized the government for not disclosing toll plans during funding requests for the Central Kowloon Route.
He argued that nominal toll hikes would be ineffective, while steep increases could divert traffic to congested alternate routes, undermining the infrastructure’s purpose.
(Ayra Wang)
