The chief executive’s office warned it could shelve its proposed toll increases intended to ease congestion at key cross-harbour tunnels, after two of its major allies in the Legislative Council indicated on Wednesday that they would not support it.
Lawmakers from two pro-government parties said their members would most likely vote against or abstain, despite being lobbied for their support by Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor’s top aide.
The cold shoulder dealt a second blow in a week to Lam’s administration, with pro-establishment lawmakers also vowing to support the pan-democrats’ non-binding motion to call for the shelving of a controversial government plan to raise the minimum age for elderly welfare payments.
Eric Chan Kwok-ki, director of the Chief Executive’s Office, met seven groups of lawmakers from across the political divide over the past weeks to lobby for their support for the plan to ease traffic congestion by raising the toll for two of the three cross-harbour tunnels and lowering the fees for the privately run Western Harbour Tunnel.
Think of the greater good and back tunnel toll rises, lawmakers told
Private cars would pay HK$40 (US$5.10) for the Cross-Harbour Tunnel and Eastern Harbour Tunnel – up from HK$20 and HK$25. Using the western route would cost HK$50, HK$20 less than the current charge.
The government will table a motion – also non-binding – at Legco to ask lawmakers for the green light for the proposal next Wednesday. It requires support from more than half of 69 lawmakers.
But at least two of the government’s allies said on Wednesday they would not give their support.
Chan warned the government would mothball the proposal should it be voted down.
“If lawmakers cannot agree with the proposal in principle, we believe it would not get support if we table it again … so we will not bring it back to Legco,” Chan said.
He also ruled out making changes to the current proposal.
“I’m afraid time does not allow for amendments or restarting the discussion [with tunnel operators],” Chan said.
Asked if the pro-government camp’s refusal to back the government on both the welfare payment and tunnel proposal reflected any communication problems, Chan said the two issues were not related.
The Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong (DAB), which has 13 members in Legco, said the proposed toll rise was too big.
DAB lawmaker Ben Chan Han-pan, who chairs Legco’s transport panel, said his party would submit an amendment to the government’s bill, to lower the toll increases.
“It is hard to support the government’s motion. The government has lobbied us repeatedly, but it failed to alleviate our concerns,” Ben Chan said.
A source in the party said: “Voting against or abstaining are both possible.”
Tunnel toll plan a good start, but less cars is the real answer to congestion
Another party, the Federation of Trade Unions, which has five members in Legco, said the government should have provided multiple proposals.
Legislator Michael Luk Chung-hung, of the Federation of Trade Unions, said: “It’s hard for us to support it. The proposal is not good; we would not vote in favour of it.”
Other pro-government parties, including the New People’s Party and the Business and Professionals Alliance, said members were undecided.
Only the Liberal Party, which has four seats, said it would back the government’s plan.
Liberal Party legislator Frankie Yick Chi-ming, who represents the transport sector, said on Wednesday his party would support the government plan, although he conceded the motion looked set to be voted down next week.
“The government has said it will not come up with another option if Legco rejects it. If that is the case, the whole of Hong Kong will ultimately be the loser,” Yick said.
“I think the question in front of us now is what we should value more – social gains or personal gains.”
The proposal was also poorly received by pan-democrats, with Democratic Party, Civic Party and Council Front lawmakers vowing to vote against it. Some said the move would not help solve the congestion problem.
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Labour Party lawmaker Fernando Cheung Chiu-hung was the only pan-democrat to back the government’s proposal.
“The reason is because it does not affect trucks and public transport,” Cheung said, noting that private vehicles face the largest rise in tolls.
The proposal was part of Lam’s policy address last year.
Both Lam and transport minister Frank Chan Fan have stood firm on the proposal, which was made with the consent of the operator of the Western Harbour Tunnel.
Under the plan, the government is to subsidise any loss incurred to the operator of the western crossing, until its franchise runs out in August 2023.
Should legislators back the proposal, changes could come into effect next year.
Additional reporting by Ng Kang-chung
