The Transport Department announced on Wednesday that it will be rolling out time-varying toll charges at the city’s three cross-harbour tunnels from 5am on December 10.

Officials said traffic at the tunnels have returned to pre-Covid levels and differential charging should be implemented as soon as possible to ease rush hour traffic.

Under the new arrangement, from Monday to Saturday, it will cost HK$30 to make a crossing during non-peak hours in the day, and HK$20 at night via any of the three tunnels.

But the toll will go up at a rate of HK$2 per two minutes to HK$60 at the Western Harbour Crossing; and HK$40 at the Cross-Harbour Tunnel and the Eastern Harbour Crossing during the “transitional time slots” leading up to the morning and evening rush hours.

The morning rush hour at the Western Harbour Crossing will be from 8.08am to 10.15am, while the evening peak period is between 4.58pm and 7pm.

The rush hours at the Cross-Harbour Tunnel and the Eastern Harbour Crossing, meanwhile, are between 7.48am and 10.15am; and from 4:38pm to 7pm.

Authorities said the tolls will also decrease at the same rate when the busiest hours are over.

A simplified version of the charging scheme will apply on Sundays and public holidays.

Meanwhile, motorcycles will be charged 40 percent of the toll, while taxis and commercial vehicles will not be affected by the new arrangement and will pay a fixed fee of HK$25 and HK$50 per trip respectively.

Display screens will be put up near the tunnels to show motorists exactly how much they need to pay for their trip.

The Transport Department said it expects traffic flows to be reduced by five percent at the tunnels during rush hours, saying motorists may drive before or after the busiest hours, or switch to public transport.