The discussion over tunnel fees is on(again). The question is how traffic congestion can be managed by changing the cost of our mountain and harbour tunnels(如何以收費來調節各隧道的擠塞情況).
Changing tunnel fees is a rudimentary form of electronic road pricing (電子道路收費)or ERP. Pricing is used to influence drivers’ choice of route or time of travel, or convince drivers to use public transport(以收費來影響駕車者對路綫、出門時間、甚至放棄開車的決定).
The discussion goes back a long time. When I arrived in 1984 a pilot scheme(試驗計劃) was in place with 18 toll gates(收費閘) in Central and over 2,000 government vehicles equipped with electronic number plates. Although the test was a success, nothing was implemented because of privacy concerns. The Government has since tried using tax on fuel and new vehicles to limit car growth(汽油稅及首次登記稅均未能降低車輛數目增長). This has failed to reduce congestion. Car journey speed is now down to 20km/hr on Hong Kong Island, and as low as 10km/hr during morning peak hours.
So we need road pricing. We can start with the tunnels before adding tollgates in other places in the city. The Government proposes a simple start. It wants to raise the fees for the Lion Rock and Cross Harbour Tunnels, the cheapest and most congested route, and to subsidise the Western Harbour Tunnel, the most expensive and least congested route. People now want to know by how much. Ideally, tolls vary incrementally based on queue length. The longer the queue the more you pay.
That needs mandatory electronic payment for each vehicle. In the age of smart phones, GPS, Octopus and Autotoll, privacy may be less of a concern. Legislators should listen to bus passengers and give their support.
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