The government has said it still plans to introduce electronic toll payments at cross-harbour tunnels in the summer and the rest of its tunnels before the end of this year.

That's despite the more than two month delay to the start of the roll out of its HKeToll scheme at the Tsing Sha Control Area of the Eagle's Nest Tunnel after motorists and lawmakers complained that its implementation had been too hasty. It was supposed to have been launched on February 26.

Transport Commissioner, Rosanna Law, apologised for the delay and said authorities would boost publicity as it appeared people had not paid much attention to earlier promotion campaigns.

She told RTHK's Hong Kong Today programme on Wednesday that over 450,000 electronic tags had now been issued to drivers. There are around 800,000 vehicle owners in Hong Kong.

Law also said HKeToll could be made compulsory in future, as she reiterated that drivers without a tag using tunnels where it's installed would be issued an automatic demand note to pay the toll within 14 days.

“However, in the enabling legislation for HKeToll, we have inserted a provision saying that in future, there is a power for the government to mandate the compulsory use of electronic payment devices for tunnel payment,” she said.

The transport chief also stressed that taxi drivers could use HKeToll for free by logging on to their account online or through the app, but they would otherwise have to pay HK$120 for a physical tag. She said more than 25,000 taxi drivers had already signed up.

Law also denied that toll booth staff at the Tsing Sha Control Area would lose their severance pay, after they were asked to come back to work because of the launch delay.

"I know that some might say that those agreeing to stay on might not be able to get the ex-gratia payment upon the end of the contract: that is not true. Actually, every one of them will get the original promised ex-gratia payment by the management operator," she said.

"And now, when we announced the extension, I understand that there will be additional ex-gratia payment, agreed already between the government and the contractor," Law said.

"So there is no question of not getting ex-gratia payment upon the extension."