Mild adjustments to HA car park charges next year
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The Commercial Properties Committee (CPC) of the Hong Kong Housing Authority (HA) today (November 23) approved a mild increase in the HA's car park charges with effect from January 1, 2023. The monthly charges for private car (PC), light goods vehicle (LGV) and coach/bus (C/B) open and covered parking spaces will be increased by $100 and $120 respectively. For motorcycle (MC) parking spaces, the charges for open and covered spaces will be increased by $20 and $30 respectively.
"The monthly charges for the HA's car parks have been maintained at the same level for three consecutive years since 2020. To ensure the HA's financial stability, the CPC endorsed a mild increase in the monthly car park charges for all types of parking spaces in 2023," a spokesman for the HA said.
After adjustment, the monthly charges for open and covered parking spaces with effect from January 1, 2023, are as follows:
| Open parking spaces | Covered parking spaces | |
| Private car | $1,450 - $2,490 | $1,760 - $3,010 |
| Light goods vehicle | $2,520 | $3,260 |
| Coach/bus | $3,120 | $4,170 |
| Motorcycle | $450 | $590 |
"The increase in monthly charges for 2023 are mild and the resultant car park charges will generally remain at the lower end of the range of charges for car parks in comparable sectors. In fact, market surveys conducted by the HA indicate that monthly charges of comparable car parks are generally going up, while the HA's current monthly charges for various types of parking spaces are generally below the current rates of car parks in the market", the spokesman said.
Moreover, the HA has since April 1, 2020, been granting a 75 per cent rent concession to car park users for the monthly parking of commercial vehicles to help relieve their financial burden. Up to end of December 2022, the rent concession for car park users will have been granted for almost three years. On another hand, the 2022 Policy Address announced to further extend the 75 per cent rental or fee concessions currently granted by the Government to eligible tenants of its premises and eligible short-term tenancies and waivers under the Lands Department up to June 30, 2023. To complement the Government's measures, proposals will be submitted to the CPC in due course to extend the current provision of 75 per cent rent concessions for the HA's eligible non-domestic tenants, including car park users for the monthly parking of commercial vehicles, for six months up to the end of June next year. This should provide assistance to commercial vehicle users parking at the HA's monthly parking spaces.
The HA's monthly charges for PC parking spaces are subject to a three-tier charging system with different discounts based on occupancy rates (i.e. Tier 1 for occupancy rates at 90 per cent or above without a discount, Tier 2 for occupancy rates at 50 per cent to below 90 per cent with a 10 per cent discount, and Tier 3 for occupancy rates below 50 per cent with a 15 per cent discount). The tier to be adopted for the charges of individual car parks in 2023 will be based on their respective occupancy rates from August to October 2022. Accordingly, the current discounts for the monthly charges for PC parking spaces at individual car parks may be adjusted with effect from January 1, 2023. Subsequently, if the occupancy rate of a car park falls to a lower tier for three consecutive months during 2023, the discount for the lower tier will apply.
On hourly rates, the CPC endorsed increasing the hourly rates by $1 for PC, LGV and MC parking spaces, and to increase the Day Pass and 24-hour Pass charges for PC parking spaces by $5, for all regions in 2023.
"As for EV charging facilities installed by utility companies at the HA's car parks, we have been charging them a nominal licence fee of $1 per annum. The CPC approved to continue this concessionary arrangement for the year of 2023," said the spokesman.
The HA reviews its car park charges annually, and the approved charges will take effect from January 1 of the following year. In reviewing its car park charges, the HA makes reference to the current market level including car park charges of other public bodies and comparable private sector car parks.
As at the end of September 2022, there were about 33 500 parking spaces in 189 car parks of the HA, which mainly serve local residents subject to monthly charges. A total of about 3 800 parking spaces (about 11 per cent) are made available for visitors on hourly charges.
Ends/Wednesday, November 23, 2022
Issued at HKT 17:00
Issued at HKT 17:00
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