Drivers using the Tsing Sha Highway next month will be the first to try out a new payment system that should end the days of motorists queuing at toll booths.

When the HKeToll is introduced at the Tsing Sha Control Point, journeys will be logged through a tag attached to car windscreens, or via automatic number plate recognition technology. Fees will be deducted automatically, or a bill sent to the vehicle's owner.

The system should also arrive at the Shing Mun Tunnels and the Lion Rock Tunnel in March.

Albert Ho, a principal transport officer, said the arrival of HKeToll will be good news for motorists.

"It allows a flexibility for removing the toll booth facilities so that the traffic length can be straightened, and motorists can travel more easily, and it can help [smoother] traffic in the tunnel area," Ho said.

Drivers who don't have the tag and automatic payment set up will be given 14 days to pay their fees, after which a HK$175 surcharge will be applied.

The Transport Department will provide the first vehicle tag for each licensed vehicle free of charge, with a dedicated website set up for motorists to apply for one.