Autotoll Limited (Autotoll) provides Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) service in
Hong Kong
Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...
.
Introduction
Autotoll was established on 1 October 1998, through the merger of the two individual electronic toll collection systems by The Autopass Co. Ltd. and Electronic Toll Systems Ltd.
Autotoll is currently the only service provider of electronic toll collection in Hong Kong. Shareholders include Wilson Group Limited and The Cross-Harbour (Holdings) Ltd.
Similar with the electronic toll collection system in other countries, vehicles with Autotoll Tag can go straight and do not have to stop and pay cash at
toll booths
A tollbooth (or toll booth) is an enclosure placed along a toll road that is used for the purpose of collecting a toll from passing traffic. A structure consisting of several tollbooths placed next to each other is called a toll plaza, tollga ...
.
Autotoll is a pre-paid spending mode. An Autotoll account will be set up upon registration by drivers. A deposit of HK$150 for Autotoll Tag is required with the monthly administration fee of HK$35. When driving into tunnels or toll roads, the transponder communicates by
RFID
Radio-frequency identification (RFID) uses electromagnetic fields to automatically identify and track tags attached to objects. An RFID system consists of a tiny radio transponder, a radio receiver and transmitter. When triggered by an electromag ...
instantaneously with the device installed adjacent to the toll booth to pay the toll by deducting it from a pre-paid account. The pre-paid amount ranges from HK$500 to HK$3,000 according to different vehicle types.
Autotoll has launched the “AutoPark” service in 2006. Vehicles with Autotoll Tag can register “AutoPark” service for free and park at the designated carparks with the barrier gate rising automatically for driving in and out.
History
In June 1992, The Autopass Co. Ltd. introduced the electronic toll collection system (ETC) to Hong Kong and conduct the first testing phase at The Aberdeen Tunnel. In August 1993, ETC system was installed at a few more crowded tunnels, including
Cross-Harbour Tunnel
The Cross-Harbour Tunnel (abbreviated ''CHT'' or ''XHT'') is the first tunnel in Hong Kong built underwater. It consists of two steel road tunnels each with two lanes constructed using the single shell immersed tube method.
It is the earl ...
,
Eastern Harbour Crossing
The Eastern Harbour Crossing, abbreviated as "EHC" (), is a combined road-rail tunnel that crosses beneath Victoria Harbour in Hong Kong. Opened on 21 September 1989, it connects Quarry Bay, Hong Kong Island and Cha Kwo Ling, East Kowloon, Ko ...
and
Lion Rock Tunnel
The Lion Rock Tunnel, the first major road tunnel in Hong Kong, is a twin-bored toll tunnel, connecting Hin Tin, Sha Tin in the New Territories and New Kowloon near Kowloon Tong. It has two southbound lanes, and there are two northbound lan ...
. The system further applied to
Western Harbour Crossing
The Western Harbour Crossing (WHC) is a dual 3-lane immersed tube tunnel in Hong Kong. It is the third road tunnel to cross Victoria Harbour, linking the newly reclaimed land in Yau Ma Tei on Kowloon West with Sai Ying Pun on Hong Kong Isl ...
in May 1997,
Tai Lam Tunnel
Tai Lam Tunnel ( Chinese: 大欖隧道), running along Tsing Long Highway, is part of Route 3 Country Park Section (R3CPS) and is a transport link between the western New Territories in Ting Kau and Yuen Long.
Tai Lam Tunnel was constructed t ...
in June 1998 and Cheung Tsing tunnel in July 1998.
In September 1995, Electronic Toll Systems Ltd. had developed another electronic toll collection system. It was then installed at
Tate's Cairn Tunnel
Tate's Cairn Tunnel is a four-lane road tunnel in Hong Kong. Constructed as part of Route 2, it links Diamond Hill, New Kowloon with Siu Lek Yuen, Sha Tin, New Territories East. It opened on 26 June 1991.
Its toll plaza is situated on the ...
for testing and further expended to
Shing Mun Tunnels
The Shing Mun Tunnels are a system of tunnels and viaducts in the New Territories, Hong Kong connecting the new towns of Tsuen Wan to the west and Sha Tin to the east. They are a part of Route 9 and the Tsuen Wan entrance is the reset poin ...
and
Tseung Kwan O Tunnel
Tseung Kwan O Tunnel () is a 900-metre tunnel beneath Ma Yau Tong in Hong Kong. The tunnel was opened on 9 November 1990. Part of Route 7, it links Sau Mau Ping, Kwun Tong, Kowloon and the Tseung Kwan O New Town, Sai Kung District, the New Te ...
in October 1997. This system is not compatible with the one from The Autopass Co. Ltd. Besides, the Lantau Link and Tai Lam Tunnel originally planned to use this system too. Due to the merger of these two systems in 1998, the system from The Autopass Co. Ltd. was used instead.
Since the two individual systems had brought inconvenience to motorists, the Autopass Co. Ltd. and Electronic Toll Systems Ltd. merged the systems on 1 October 1998 with the support from Hong Kong Government. And the system was renamed as Autotoll. The service continued at the 9 tunnels and 1 toll road and further expanded to
Eagle's Nest Tunnel
Eagle's Nest Tunnel and Sha Tin Heights Tunnel are road tunnels in the New Territories of Hong Kong. Both tunnels were officially opened on 21 March 2008. The tunnels connect Cheung Sha Wan through Eagle's Nest hill to Tai Wai, and are linked ...
and
Sha Tin Heights Tunnel
Eagle's Nest Tunnel and Sha Tin Heights Tunnel are road tunnels in the New Territories of Hong Kong. Both tunnels were officially opened on 21 March 2008. The tunnels connect Cheung Sha Wan through Eagle's Nest hill to Tai Wai, and are linked ...
.
Autotoll has launched the “AutoPark” service in 2006. Vehicles with Autotoll Tag can register “AutoPark” service for free and park at the designated carparks with the barrier gate rising automatically for driving in and out.
Roads with service
Autotoll Tag
The Autopass Co. Ltd. system used before October 1998
Aberdeen Tunnel (Route 1)(usage from June 1992)
Cross-Harbour Tunnel (Route 1) (usage from August 1993)
Eastern Harbour Crossing (Route 2) (usage from August 1993)
Western Harbour Crossing (Route 3) (usage from May 1997)
Lion Rock Tunnel (Route 1) (usage from August 1993)
Tai Lam Tunnel (Route 3) (usage from June 1998)
Lantau Link (Route 8) (usage from July 1998)
Electronic Toll Systems used before October 1998
Tate's Cairn Tunnel (Route 2) (usage from September 1995)
Tseung Kwan O Tunnel (Route 7) (usage from October 1997)
Shing Mun Tunnels (Route 9) (usage from October 1997)
Tunnels opened after October 1998
Eagle's Nest Tunnel and Sha Tin Heights Tunnel (Route 8) (usage from March 2008)
External links
Autotoll Limited
Electronic toll collection