Prologue Journal

Understanding current events through the lenses of the past and future.

Hong Kong to lower Tai Lam Tunnel toll fees starting May 31

Hong Kong Free Press

Hong Kong will lower Tai Lam Tunnel’s toll fees for all types of vehicles from May 31, when the government takes over the tunnel that connects the northwestern districts with other urban areas.

On Thursday, the Legislative Council approved a range of new toll fees for the tunnel. From May 31, private vehicles will only need to pay HK$45 during peak hours – down from the current fixed fee of HK$58.

During non-peak hours between 9.59am and 5.15pm, private cars will be charged HK$30, while during other non-peak hours, as well as on Sundays and public holidays, the toll will fall to HK$18.

Instead of a fixed HK$28 fee, motorcycles and motor tricycles will need to pay only HK$18 during peak hours and HK$7.20 during off-peak hours, on Sundays, and holidays.

Taxi drivers will be charged less with an all-day fixed toll of HK$28, almost half of the current HK$58 fee.

All other vehicles, including buses, vans, and trucks, will simply pay HK$43, compared with the current fees ranging from HK$64 to HK$213, depending on the size of the vehicles.

Secretary for Transport and Logistics Mable Chan welcomed the bill passage, calling the Tai Lam Tunnel “vital to the well-being” of residents in Yuen Long and North Districts, and the “lifeblood” of transport and logistics.

“The new tolls, which are devised based on scientific and traffic data, will enable the flow of people and freight between the Northwest New Territories and the urban area,” Chan said in a press release issued Thursday.

The government will also implement the “HKeToll” free-flow toll service, which does not require vehicles to stop for payment when crossing the tunnel, according to the press release.

The government said it expected the new tolls would alleviate the heavy traffic on other routes linking the city’s northern areas, such as the Tuen Mun Road and Tolo Highway.

The Tai Lam Tunnel – opened in 1998 – is currently operated by Route 3 (CPS) Company, a subsidiary of Sun Hung Kai Properties, on a franchise. The government will take over the tunnel after the franchise expires on May 30.

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