Sunday start set for varying tunnel tolls system

The time-varying tolls system will be implemented at the three cross-harbor tunnels from 5 am on Sunday.

Under the new arrangement, cars will be charged HK$60 for Western Harbour Crossing and HK$40 for the Cross Harbour Tunnel and Eastern crossing during peak hours from Monday to Saturday.

Assistant Commissioner for Transport Leung Sai-ho said the aim is to encourage drivers to travel during non-peak hours and that he expected a 10 percent reduction in the number of cars and motorcycles using the Hung Hom crossing during peak hours.

"Our main aim is not to completely making traffic queues vanish but to bring them to an acceptable level so they will not affect [non-cross-harbor traffic]," he said.

The government announced earlier that tolls would be increased or decreased by HK$2 per two minutes during the transitional period between rush and non-rush hours.

The toll will rise from 7.30 am from the HK$20 overnight toll, and will gradually drop from 10.15 am when peak hours end to HK$30 at all three tunnels.

Motorcyclists will be charged 40 percent of the toll, which will range from HK$8 to HK$24 at Western and HK$8 to HK$16 at Hung Hom and Eastern during peak hours.

Although special traffic arrangements are not required for implementing time-varying tolls at the three tunnels, temporary arrangements will be implemented at Eastern and its connecting roads during Hong Kong Streetathon 2023, which will be held on Sunday and will involve the northbound tunnel, with details to come soon.

Screens will be put up near tunnel entrances to display real-time toll charges, which will be above the portal frames that have the HKeToll scanners installed to identify and bill vehicles.

Drivers can check their bills in the HKeToll app, or the Transport Department's HKeMobility app.

But the screens will not display actual times, which Commissioner for Transport Angela Lee Chung-yan said was to discourage drivers from speeding or slowing at toll points before toll changes.

She expect car queues at the Hung Hom tunnel could be shortened by one kilometer, and 500 meters at Eastern.