“633” fixed toll scheme to be implemented in three road harbour crossings from 0.00am on August 2 and HKeToll to be implemented at Western Harbour Crossing from 5am on August 6 (with photo)
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The Transport Department (TD) reminded the public today (July 31) that the “633” fixed toll scheme will be implemented in the three road harbour crossings (RHCs), i.e. Western Harbour Crossing (WHC), Cross-Harbour Tunnel (CHT) and Eastern Harbour Crossing (EHC), at 0.00am on August 2 (Wednesday). Apart from closing briefly the WHC and the EHC for about five minutes to facilitate the renewal of the toll collection facilities, the TD will not implement temporary road closure or route diversion in the vicinity of the tunnels.
Details of the “633” fixed toll scheme are set out as follows:
(1) The fixed toll for private cars using the WHC will be lowered to $60, while that for the CHT and the EHC will be adjusted to $30;
(2) Cross-harbour taxis will be charged an all-day fixed toll of $25 for the three road harbour crossings. Same as the current additional fare arrangement, a taxi passenger will need to pay both the outbound and return toll (i.e. $50 in total) if they do not board from cross harbour taxi stands. There will no longer be a vehicle type of “empty taxi” at the EHC; and
(3) Prevailing tolls for other vehicle types will remain unchanged.
Motorists should note that the toll tickets sold by the Western Harbour Tunnel Company Limited (WHTCL) for payment of WHC tolls, as well as the current commercial promotion provided by the WHTCL, including midnight toll promotion, coupons, etc, will be terminated upon the expiry of the WHC franchise.
In addition, the HKeToll will be implemented in the WHC from 5am on August 6 (Sunday). Motorists can drive through the toll plaza and pay tunnel tolls using the HKeToll without having to stop or queue at toll booths for payments. All manual toll booths and Autotoll lanes will be cancelled.
To tie in with the implementation of the HKeToll, temporary traffic arrangements will be implemented in phases in the vicinity of the WHC starting from 10pm on August 5. The speed limit on the West Kowloon Highway towards Hong Kong Island will be reduced to 70 kilometres per hour starting from Hoi Ying Estate, and will be reduced to 50 kilometres per hour near Olympian City 1 and beyond. Both directions of the WHC and the slip roads leading to the WHC will be closed from 4am to 5am on August 6. During the closure of the WHC, two overnight franchised bus routes (Route Nos. N962 (Tuen Mun (Lung Mun Oasis) – Causeway Bay (Moreton Terrace)) and N969 (Tin Shui Wai Town Centre – Causeway Bay (Moreton Terrace)) will be diverted via the CHT. In accordance with the route diversion, the bus stops of the two bus routes (in both directions) at WHC Toll Plaza will be temporarily suspended and at the same time, temporary bus stops will be added at the CHT Toll Plaza and Jordan Road (near Austin Station).
Following the WHC, the HKeToll will be implemented at the EHC at 5am on August 27. Details of the temporary traffic and transport arrangements and the one-off special refund arrangement for toll tickets will be announced separately.