THURSDAY, MARCH 27, 1975
NEW TOLL FOR LION ROCK TUNNEL ******
LION ROCK TUNNEL TOLL CHARGES WILL BE REVISED FROM NEXT TUESDAY (APRIL 1) SO AS TO BRING THEM IN LINE WITH RISING OPERATING COSTS.
THE NEW CHARGES ARE SET OUT IN THE LION ROCK TUNNEL (AMENDMENT) REGULATIONS 1975 PUBLISHED IN TODAY'S GAZETTE FOR GENERAL INFORMATION.
A SPOKESMAN FOR THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT SAID THERE WOULD BE THREE CHARGE RATES, INSTEAD OF THE EXISTING TWO, FOR VARIOUS TYPES OF VEHICLES USING THE TUNNEL.
THE NEW CHARGES WILL BE $1 FOR PRIVATE CARS, PUBLIC CARS, TAXIS AND MOTORCYCLES⇒ AND $1.50 FOR PUBLIC AND PRIVATE LIGHT BUSES, PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SINGLE-DECK OMNIBUSES AND GOODS VEHICLES OF AN UNLADEN WEIGHT NOT EXCEEDING 40 CVT.
1
FOR LARGE VEHICLES SUCH AS PUBLIC AND PRIVATE DOUBLE- .DECK OMNIBUSES AND GOODS VEHICLES OF AN UNLADEN WEIGHT
EXCEEDING 40 CWT, THE CHARGE WILL BE $2.
COMMENTING ON THE TOLL CHARGE REVISION, THE SPOKESMAN SAID THIS HAD BECOME NECESSARY IN THE LIGHT OF RISING COSTS TO OPERATE AND MAINTAIN THE TUNNEL, WITH WHICH THE GROWTH IN REVENUE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO KEEP UP,
HE OPINTED OUT THAT THE EXISTING CHARGE LEVELS OF 50 CENTS FOR SMALL VEHICLES AND $1 FOR LARGE VEHICLES WERE SET ALMOST EIGHT YEARS AGO WHEN THE TUNNEL OPENED, AND HAD REMAINED UNCHANGED EVER SINCE.
DURING THE YEAR 1974-75, HE SAID, OPERATING COSTS FOR THE LION ROCK TUNNEL INCREASED BY ABOUT 30 PER CENT WHILE ITS REVENUE GROWTH WENT UP BY ONLY ABOUT 10 PER CENT. IT IS ESTIMATED THAT THE COSTS WOULD CONTINUE TO RISE, WITH ONLY A MARGINAL INCREASE IN REVENUE GROWTH, HE ADDED,
THE SPOKESMAN SAID IT WAS CONSIDERED THAT THE REVISED TOLL CHARGES WOULD STILL BE RELATIVELY CHEAP COMPARED WITH THOSE FOR TOLL-CHARGING TUNNEL FACILITIES IN ANY OTHER CITIES,
THE NEW CHARGES, HE SAID, ARE UNLIKELY TO HAVE ANY SIGNIFICANT EFFECT ON THE TRAFFIC BALANCE BETWEEN THE LION ROCK TUNNEL AND TAI PO ROAD, BEARING IN MIND THAT MOTORISTS USING THE TUNNEL CAN SAVE FUEL COSTS AS WELL AS JOURNEY TIME BY ABOUT 10 MINUTES.
:
15