Calls to cut proposed toll on Hong Kong’s yet-to-open Central Kowloon Bypass

Hong Kong lawmakers have urged transport authorities to consider cheaper tolls for the yet-to-open Central Kowloon Bypass, arguing that the move will improve the road’s utilisation rate and ease congestion in surrounding areas.

Undersecretary for Transport and Logistics Liu Chun-san told lawmakers on Tuesday that while authorities would review the traffic flow, cheaper tolls could mean that the government might not be able to recoup most of the costs of operating the mostly underground bypass.

The government earlier announced proposals to increase several traffic-related fees, including raising tolls from HK$5 (64 US cents) to HK$8 at the Aberdeen Tunnel and Shing Mun Tunnels. It also proposed an HK$8 toll for the Yau Ma Tei tunnel section of the bypass, which is expected to open by the end of the year.

The 4.7km bypass, which connects Yau Ma Tei and Kowloon Bay, was designed to alleviate traffic congestion on major trunk roads in Kowloon by providing a shorter and faster route, allowing motorists to save fuel and time.

Lawmaker Chau Siu-chung urged authorities to consider a toll of HK$5, which would strike a balance between diverting traffic and recovering expenses.

Fellow legislator Kitson Yang Wing-kit also said he was not completely satisfied with the HK$8 toll at the bypass, calling on the government to consider differential toll pricing.

“Why did we build the Central Kowloon Bypass? The main reason is that the traffic jam from the Cross-Harbour Tunnel has led to traffic jams in the area around Gascoigne Road,” Yang said.