The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government on Wednesday proposed a significant toll reduction for all types of vehicles using Tai Lam Tunnel, with a maximum decrease of 80 percent and fees capped at HK$45 ($5.70) after its takeover of the tunnel’s management and operations in May next year.
The takeover of the tunnel -- one of the major transportation and logistics routes between the New Territories West/North and the urban areas -- will be on May 31.
According to the proposed new toll plan, private cars would be charged based on time slots, ranging from HK$45 during peak hours and HK$30 during normal time slots, to HK$18 during off-peak hours on Mondays to Saturdays. These would represent fee decreases of between 22 and 69 percent, compared to existing tolls.
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On Sundays and public holidays, private cars would be charged HK$18 throughout the day. Taxi drivers would have to pay an all-day uniform toll of HK$28, with a reduction rate of 52 per cent compared with the current toll, while commercial vehicles, such as goods vehicles and buses, would be charged an all-day uniform toll of HK$43, with a reduction rate of between 33 and 80 percent.
The tolls for motorcycles, including motor tricycles, would be set at 40 percent of the tolls for private cars during the corresponding time slots.
A government spokesperson said an appropriate downward adjustment of the tolls for Tai Lam Tunnel could divert part of the traffic from Tuen Mun Road and Tolo Highway to the tunnel, thereby improving traffic conditions on the two highways, and facilitating public commuting in the New Territories West and North.
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“This adjustment would attract commercial vehicles to use Tai Lam Tunnel, which is conducive to the operation and development of the logistics industry," the spokesperson said.
The new toll plan was included in the Road Tunnels (Government) (Amendment) Bill 2024. The Legislative Council will begin its first reading of the bill on Dec 11.
