Hong Kong boundary fee study will look at impact on travellers and traffic
Boundary facilities fee for private cars among proposals in budget to increase revenue to fix deficit
The impact on travellers and overall traffic will be examined in a study on introducing a boundary facilities fee to generate extra revenue for government coffers, Hong Kong’s transport minister has said.
Secretary for Transport and Logistics Mable Chan also said on Friday that the administration was committed to fostering cross-border integration when asked if potentially charging a boundary facilities fee on private cars would go against central government policy.
“Data on commuting via high-speed rail, land control points and vessels shows that we have done a good job on our integration with the Greater Bay Area and on facilitating the cross-border flow of people,” she said.
“In the future, we will continue to push through cross-border railway projects to foster cross-border integration.
“During the boundary facilities fee study, relevant bureaus and departments will consider the impact on residents’ convenience and overall traffic, as well as upholding the ‘user-pay’ and ‘affordable users pay’ principles.”
The bay area, comprising Hong Kong, Macau and nine cities in Guangdong province, is Beijing’s plan to create an economic powerhouse.
