Transport official defends Central Kowloon Route toll
The Transport Department says a toll for Central Kowloon Route wasn't brought up in the past because building a toll plaza in urban areas would have been difficult. File photo: RTHK
The Transport Department said on Monday that technology has enabled officials to charge drivers who'll be using a new Kowloon tunnel.
Last week, officials publicised plans to charge drivers of all types of vehicles $10 for using the Central Kowloon Route when it's fully completed in the middle of next year.
Several lawmakers were unhappy with the move as officials had not apprised them of the possibility of implementing tolls when the project was first mooted.
Speaking on RTHK, assistant transport commissioner Leung Sai-ho said the project has been in the pipeline for years and that back then the SAR didn't have HKeToll or any other electronic toll charging system.
He said it would've been undesirable to build a toll plaza, as was the practice then, in the busy areas of Kowloon.
"Back in the day you always needed a toll plaza to collect tolls," Leung said.
"If you had built one in the urban areas, it would have taken up a lot of space, affecting many buildings.
"Not that I'm saying you needed to knock some down, but at least it'd have limited the room for urban development.
"So back in the day, it wasn't even possible to [consider charging] users of the Central Kowloon Route, that's why we never brought up the topic."
Some lawmakers have counter-proposed implementing a charge of $8 instead of $10, and Leung stressed officials would continue to listen to views.
But he said setting the level at $10 would leave the tunnel with an estimated 20 percent of unused capacity during peak hours, which could be handy for accommodating more traffic when future new towns are completed.
The 4.7 km long dual 3-lane trunk road connects Yau Ma Tei and Kowloon Bay, including a tunnel of about 3.9km long.
Leung also said proposals to raise tolls for Aberdeen and Shing Mun tunnels from $5 to $8 would enable the government to cut the operating deficit for the two crossings.
He went on to say money wasn't the only issue for officials when reviewing tunnel tolls.
For example, Leung said, they dropped the idea of raising charges for the loss-making Eagle's Nest Tunnel because that would've only encouraged drivers to go back to using the busy Lion Rock Tunnel.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
RTHK
4 hours ago
- RTHK
Make good use of historical war resources: Alice Mak
Make good use of historical war resources: Alice Mak Alice Mak says the government aims to enable all sectors of society to make better use of the rich local anti-Japanese war historical resources and deepen public understanding of the history of the war. Photo: RTHK Cally Kwong praises the participants of an essay and photography competition for recording the history of the war. through their words and lenses. Photo: RTHK The Home and Youth Affairs Bureau is organising a series of activities marking the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs Alice Mak said on Thursday. Efforts include setting up display boards detailing the Dongjiang Column's war history in community halls and centres, repairing and conserving the Wu Kau Tang Martyrs Memorial Garden, and improving a section of a village road connecting to the Sha Tau Kok Anti-Japanese War Memorial Hall. 'This is to enable all sectors of society to make better use of the rich local anti-Japanese war historical resources and deepen public understanding of the history of the war," Mak said. Her remarks were made at an award ceremony of an essay and photography competition commemorating the anniversary, which attracted over 1,000 entries. At the same event, National People's Congress deputy Cally Kwong praised the participants for recording the history of the war through their words and lenses. 'There's no need for fancy words. Their works carry the strongest heartfelt impact," she said.
South China Morning Post
5 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong revs up development of autonomous vehicles with new, expanded trials
Hong Kong is ramping up efforts to develop driverless vehicle services by launching a trial at Cyberport and expanding an initiative at the West Kowloon arts hub following road tests in other areas. The Transport Department said on Thursday that mainland Chinese tech giant Baidu was also interested in applying to test autonomous vehicles in Kai Tak, in addition to its trials in Northern Lantau and Tung Chung. The trial at the West Kowloon Cultural District was expected to move forward to road tests with passengers on autonomous minibuses on public roads this year, it added. The department said earlier that it had approved a trial to be conducted at Cyberport, the digital tech hub in Southern district, involving 10 driverless private cars. The licensee, Baidu Apollo International, has been running similar tests in northern Lantau and Tung Chung since December 2024 and June this year, respectively. A spokesman for the department said the tests had been smooth, with the vehicles maintaining a stable performance.
RTHK
8 hours ago
- RTHK
Fuelled by property growth, MTR interim profit up 27pc
Fuelled by property growth, MTR interim profit up 27pc The MTR Corporation says property development profit more than triples in the first half of the year. Photo: RTHK The MTR Corporation has reported a 27 percent increase in profit in the first half of the year, thanks to higher patronage as well as its property business. The rail operator said interim profit reached HK$7.7 billion, up from HK$6.04 billion in the same period last year. The company said local transport operations saw steady revenue growth, driven by an increase in patronage from cross-boundary and high-speed rail services. Property development, including projects at Ho Man Tin and Wong Chuk Hang stations, contributed to the bigger bulk of the first-half profit at HK$5.5 billion. That more than tripled property earnings of HK$1.7 billion a year ago. Total revenue declined 6.5 percent year on year to HK$27.3 billion, partially dragged down by a drop of HK$1.2 billion in investment property valuation. Speaking at a press conference, Jacob Kam, the MTR's chief executive, said the group's business remained overall stable, but noted challenges lie ahead. "We're now in a major phase of railway investment and construction while also upgrading our railway assets. In the future, we will maintain prudent financial management shaping forward-looking strategies to guide the corporation's growth," he said. "We will continue to adhere to the 'Think Ahead, Stay Ahead' principle to expand our businesses and strengthen Hong Kong's future through building new railways and growing communities. The MTR declared an interim dividend of HK$0.42 per share, same as a year ago.
