The second step would be to implement tolls based on different timings, in which authorities will charge private cars and motorcycles fees according to three time slots during the day from Monday to Saturday. The plan is expected to come into effect no later than the end of the year.

But the transport sector expressed scepticism about how effective the toll changes would be in relieving congestion at the busiest crossing. They said charges for all three tunnels should be the same.

The fee adjustment proposed by the Transport and Logistics Bureau in November was approved by the Executive Council on Tuesday. It will be gazetted on Friday and tabled to the Legislative Council next Wednesday for the first reading.

New e-tolls to save Hong Kong drivers time at tunnels from February, government says

From August, the toll for private cars at the Cross-Harbour Tunnel and Eastern Harbour Tunnel will be increased to HK$30, from the current HK$20 and HK$25 respectively.

The charge for the Western Harbour Tunnel will be cut to HK$60, from HK$75.

In the second phase, higher charges will be set for private cars and motorcycles during the morning peak period between 7.30am and 10.15am, and in the evening from 4.30pm to 7pm.

Lower fees will apply in non-peak hours from 10.15am to 4.30pm, with the cheapest toll for the period between 7pm and 7.30am.

For instance, private cars will be charged HK$60 for using the Western Harbour Tunnel during rush hour, with a HK$40 toll for the other two tunnels. For normal time slots and off-peak hours, drivers of such vehicles will be charged HK$30 and HK$20 for all tunnels respectively.

To discourage motorists from speeding to reach the tunnels before higher charges kick in, fees will progressively rise HK$2 every two minutes from a peak-hour slot up to the maximum amount. The opposite arrangement will occur for off-peak periods.

Changes to cross-harbour tunnel tolls proposed by Hong Kong authorities

The toll arrangement will be different for Sundays and public holidays, with private cars charged HK$25 for normal time slots between 10.15am and 7.15pm. For non-peak hours, the charge will be HK$20 from 7.15pm to 10.15am.

Taxi drivers will also have to foot the bill. The charge for all three tunnels for cabs will be set at HK$25, regardless of whether they are carrying passengers, aligned with their current toll for the Eastern Harbour Tunnel.

This amounts to a HK$15 increase for taxis using the Cross-Harbour Tunnel, but HK$45 less for the Western route.

Commissioner for Transport Rosanna Law Shuk-pui said she expected the two-step plan could help reduce traffic queues at the Cross-Harbour Tunnel by 1km to 1.5km, and shorten those at the Eastern crossing by about 0.5km.

The previous administration led by Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor was forced to shelve its contentious bid to change cross-harbour tunnel tolls in March 2019 because of strong opposition from lawmakers across the political spectrum, after an attempt in January the same year with a higher toll increase than in the latest plan.

Last year, more than 100,000 vehicles a day used the Cross-Harbour Tunnel on average, followed by 71,000 for the Eastern tunnel and about 50,000 at the Western crossing.

Lawmaker Ben Chan Han-pan, who chairs the Legislative Council’s transport panel, said the toll proposals were a step in the right direction but more would be needed.

“The defined duration of peak hours is too long. In reality there are different peak hours in different tunnels,” Chan said.

Chow Kwok-keung, chairman of the Hong Kong Taxi and Public Light Bus Association, said the toll adjustments would not relieve congestion in the busiest tunnels as private car drivers would not change their preferred routes over the price change.

“The government has only forced taxi passengers to … choose the Western crossing,” Chow said.

Ringo Lee Yiu-pui, president of the Hong Kong Automobile Association, held similar views.

“The toll dropping from HK$75 to HK$60 for the Western Harbour Crossing is not appealing when the other two are charging HK$30, especially to those who can reach their destinations easier by those two tunnels. It doesn’t make sense for drivers to detour and pay more,” Lee said.

Lee said setting the same tolls for all three tunnels would be the most effective way to divert traffic.

“Most of the people driving at peak hours do so as they need to get to work. If three tunnels have different tolls, people will consider the price first. Secondly, they will think about avoiding the one that may keep them in heavy traffic,” he said.

“If they charge the same, drivers can simply choose the smoothest route without being bound by the fare they need to pay.”

Major franchised bus operators welcomed the proposed toll adjustments.

A spokesman for Citybus and New World First Bus, which use the Western tunnel for more than 70 routes, said congestion charging could reduce traffic jams.

KMB said it welcomed any proposal that could effectively divert the traffic flow of the three tunnels.

Additional reporting by Danny Mok and Jeffie Lam