Government welcomes passage of Road Tunnels (Government) (Amendment) Bill 2024
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The Secretary for Transport and Logistics, Ms Mable Chan, said, "The TLT is vital to the well-being of the 1 million residents in Yuen Long and North Districts who travel through the Tunnel, as well as being the lifeblood of transport and logistics trades to the road-based land crossings, airport, cargo terminals, etc. The Bill seeks to make the TLT, which is an important land infrastructure, more accessible and convenient for the public. 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. The new tolls are a comprehensive proposal that takes into account both public opinion and holistic policy considerations."
The Government has appropriately reduced the tolls of the TLT to achieve a number of policy objectives: ensure that the TLT remains smooth and its spare capacity is utilised to alleviate the heavy traffic on its alternative routes (i.e. Tuen Mun Road and Tolo Highway); ensure smooth public transport services through the tunnel, thereby enabling the public's commuting; embody the principle of "efficiency first" to attract commercial vehicles to use the Tunnel in support of the operation and development of the logistics industry; and the adherence to the principles of "user pay" and "cost-recovery".
The Government will implement a time-varying toll at the TLT. The tolls for all types of vehicles will be substantially reduced from the current levels, i.e. the toll for private cars is between $18 and $45; the toll for motorcycles (including motor tricycles) is between $7.2 and $18; the toll for taxis is charged at an all-day fixed rate of $28, while other commercial vehicles including goods vehicles and buses are charged an all-day fixed toll of $43. The above tolls will come into force on May 31 this year when the Government takes over the TLT. The HKeToll will also be implemented at the TLT, and the Transport Department will announce the details in due course.
Ends/Thursday, February 20, 2025
Issued at HKT 13:00
Issued at HKT 13:00
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