Warning not to speed up, slow down to dodge higher toll fees

Motorists should not attempt to speed up or slow down to avoid paying higher tolls when a HK$2 additional rate is charged under the "time-varying tolls" mechanism at the three cross-harbor tunnels from December, Transport Department officials say.

Under the new arrangement starting at 5am on December 10, the "time-varying tolls" mechanism will charge private cars HK$60 for Western Harbour Crossing and HK$40 for the Cross Harbour Tunnel and Eastern Harbour Crossing during peak hours from Monday to Saturday to reduce traffic congestion.

During "transitional periods" between peak and nonpeak hours, tolls will rise or drop at a rate of HK$2 every two minutes to prevent people from speeding or slowing down when tolls change.

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

Drivers can still enjoy the HK$20 overnight toll while accessing the tunnel at 7.28am, but will need to pay HK$22 when crossing the harbor at 7.30am.

Thirty-eight minutes later, at 8.08am, the charge will triple to HK$60. Tolls will go up again at 4.30pm and decrease to HK$20 from 7pm.

The toll charges differ for Sundays and public holidays, with private cars charged HK$25 between 10.15am and 7.15pm, and HK$20 outside the period - where the transition lasts four minutes.

Meanwhile, motorcyclists will be charged 40 percent of the toll, while taxis and commercial vehicles will pay a fixed toll of HK$25 and HK$50 per trip respectively daily.

Screens will be put up near tunnel entrances to display the real-time toll charge.

Drivers can also check their bills in the HKeToll app, or a new function in the department's HKeMobility app to be updated later this month.

A Transport Department spokesman said the decision was made after it saw cross-harbor traffic continue to increase in recent months and return to prepandemic level. Its statistics showed a vehicle flow of over 98,000 at three tunnels during peak hours last month, slightly higher than the pre-Covid levels.

"We expect the cross-harbor traffic to continue to increase with the further resumption of social and economic activities," he said.

"With the implementation of time-varying tolls, the traffic diversion effect at the three RHCs will be more obvious than that of the existing '633' [HK$60 at Western and HK$30 each CHT and Eastern] fixed toll plan."

The department said traffic volume of the three tunnels in 2021 had exceeded design capacity by 26 percent and expects to reduce the number of private vehicles crossing the harbor during rush hours by 10 percent and overall traffic flow during rush hours by 5 percent.

That would effectively shorten the queue at cross-harbor tunnels and reduce its impact on non-harbor crossing traffic.

"During rush hours, currently the queue will span from the entrance of the cross harbor tunnel in Hung Hom to Prosperous Garden in Yau Ma Tei. We hope to shorten it to the Hong Kong Girl Guides Headquarters in Jordan under the new measure," the department said.

The commencement notice will be gazetted tomorrow and tabled at the Legislative Council for negative vetting on Wednesday.

Authorities announced the time-varying tolls in March, which is the second phase of a toll adjustment plan as the government took back the 30-year franchise of Western Harbor Crossing on August 2.

The tolls at WHC were reduced to HK$60 from HK$75, while tolls at CHT and EHC went up from HK$20 and HK$25, respectively to HK$30.