The Government today announced that the Central Kowloon Bypass will be fully commissioned on December 6, and an $8 toll will take effect on the same date.

The Legislative Council approved the $8 toll arrangement  in 2025 for all vehicles using the Central Kowloon Bypass. The Secretary for Transport & Logistics has made the Road Tunnels (Government) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulation 2025 (Commencement) Notice to specify that the relevant toll provisions will come into operation from December 6, 2026.

The commencement notice will be published in the Gazette on October 16 and tabled at the LegCo for negative vetting on October 21.

The Central Kowloon Bypass comprises the already commissioned its Yau Ma Tei Section, and the Kowloon Bay Section, which is scheduled for commissioning on December 6.

Together with the Tseung Kwan O-Lam Tin Tunnel, it forms Route 6, linking Tseung Kwan O, Kowloon East and Kowloon West.

Upon the commissioning of Route 6, the journey time between Tseung Kwan O and Yau Ma Tei during peak hours is expected to be substantially reduced from about 65 minutes to about 12 minutes, bringing considerable convenience to the public.

The Transport & Logistics Bureau said that after duly considering public affordability, the toll for the Central Kowloon Bypass has been set at $8. It is expected to recover part of the operating costs while achieving the intended traffic diversion effect, thereby alleviating traffic on major roads in Kowloon.

The Government has been actively launching publicity campaigns to help the public fully grasp the toll arrangement, with a view to ensuring the smooth rollout.