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A Transport and Housing Bureau (THB) spokesman today (April 29) reminded members of the public to submit their views on proposed measures to improve traffic distribution among the road harbour crossings (RHCs) by May 7.
The spokesman said, "According to the consultancy study completed in 2010, to achieve the objective of rationalising traffic flow at the three RHCs, it is necessary to divert some traffic from the Cross Harbour Tunnel (CHT) to the Eastern Harbour Crossing (EHC) by reducing the tolls of the EHC and raising the tolls of the CHT.
"Based on the comments collected from the last public consultation exercise, the Administration has studied and revised some of the toll adjustment options recommended by the consultants to address the requests from the public and trade, including calls for less toll increase for goods vehicles at the CHT and freezing public transport vehicle tolls."
The THB put forward three feasible options and launched a three-month public consultation exercise on February 8 this year. All three options involve adjustments of different degrees to CHT and EHC tolls, which are all based on the premise that toll reduction at the EHC as a pull factor must be complemented by toll increase at the CHT as a push factor in order to achieve significant queue reduction at the CHT, thereby rationalising traffic flow at the three RHCs.
"We will fully listen to the views of various sectors of the community and relevant stakeholders, including the Legislative Council, the Transport Advisory Committee, the relevant District Councils, the transport trade and members of the public. Depending on the outcome of the public consultation, we will discuss with the tunnel franchisee the implementation of the most preferred toll adjustment option," the spokesman said.
"Taking into account the time required to conduct public consultation, negotiate with the tunnel franchisee and effect the necessary legislative amendments, we expect to conduct a 12-month trial starting in the second half of 2014 at the earliest. We will review the outcome of the trial before deciding whether the toll adjustments should continue."
The public consultation document has been uploaded to the THB's website (www.thb.gov.hk). Members of the public may send their views by post to the Transport and Housing Bureau (c/o Team 2), 20-22/F, East Wing, Central Government Offices, 2 Tim Mei Avenue, Tamar, Hong Kong; by fax (3904 1774); or by email (rhc@thb.gov.hk).
Ends/Monday, April 29, 2013
Issued at HKT 18:57
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