The Transport Department on Thursday announced that the Tate's Cairn Tunnel will shut for an hour on Sunday morning before the eToll payment system comes into effect there.

At a press briefing, Transport Commissioner Angela Lee said the tunnel, between Diamond Hill and Sha Tin, will be closed from 4am to 5am as the system is switched on.

Lee added that the Tate's Cairn Tunnel will be the seventh to apply the HKeToll system.

"Six government-tolled tunnels have already implemented HKeToll... We are handling an average daily volume of 430,000 vehicles. The operation has run smoothly," she said.

HKeToll eliminates the need for drivers to stop at toll booths to make payments.

Motorists who have a registered electronic tag in their vehicle have fees automatically deducted, while those without a tag receive a bill for payment.