HK Unions lash out at congestion charge

MembersoftheMotorTransportWorkersGeneralUnionrallyinWanChaionMarch16,2016againsttheproposedroadtolls.(LiXiange/ChinaDaily)

(CHINADAILY)

TransportandlogisticsworkershaveralliedagainstplanstointroduceelectronicroadpricingpilotschemeinCentralanditsadjacentareas–fearingthefinancialtolloftrafficcongestionchargingwillunfairlyburdenthetransportsector.

ChairmanoftheMotorTransportWorkersGeneralUnionLewisChanSiu-wahcriticizedtheTransportDepartment’spolicies,sayingithadfailedtocurbasurgeinprivatecarsaswellasrampantillegalparking.

ThenumberofprivatecarsinHongKongroseby40percentduringthelastdecade,whilepublicvehiclesnumbersremainedstableandthenumberoffranchisedbusesactuallydecreasedby200.

Transportworkerssayillegalparkinginthecentralbusinessdistrict,whereparkingspacesarescarce,hasledtolarge-scaletrafficjams,whilewell-to-doprivatedriversareabletobrushofftherelativelylowfines.Theunionsargueaddingaroadtollisunlikelytocreateafinancialdisincentivetochangesuchbehavior.

TamCai-chui,directorofNon-FranchisedBusBranchundertheMotorTransportWorkersGeneralUnion,saidworkerswereworriedhissector’soperatingcostswouldbecomeoverwhelming–especiallyifthetollswereextendedtootherdistrictsinHongKong–leadingtojobinsecurity.

TheTransportDepartment,inawrittenresponsetoChinaDailyWednesdayevening,statedthatitusuallytakesyearsfromtheplanningstagetoreachingtheconsensustoimplementtheelectronicroadpricingsystem,basedonoverseasexperiences.

Thefirst-roundpublicconsultationaboutthepilotschemestartedinDecember2015,andwillendonMarch18.

Meanwhile,DemocraticAlliancefortheBettermentandProgressofHongKongcouncilorChanHo-limsaidseverecongestioninCentralwouldbebettertacklednotbylimitingthenumberofcarsenteringtheareabutratherensuringcarsmoveatapace.

Tailbacksarecommonlytheresultnotofsheervolumebutduetoidlecarsnegotiatingbottlenecksbroughtonbydoubleparkedvehicles.

Central’smajorarterieshaveremainedrelativelyunchangedoverthepastdecadewhileprivatecarownershipracesaheadunabated.

Majorroadworkstocreateanewbypasswillnotbereadybya2017deadline.

Solutionsfromsolvingrushhourjamshaverangedfromdevelopingalternativecommercialcenterstoeliminatingtramserviceinthevicinitywhichsparkedapublicoutcry.