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Written by: Commentary Editing Room
2021-02-26 07:00
Last update date: 2021-02-26 07:00
The new "Budget" was announced on Wednesday (24th). In order to supplement government revenue and reduce the burden on the road system, Financial Secretary Chen Maobo decided to increase the first registration tax and license fee for private cars.
The measures were gazetted on the same day and aroused dissatisfaction among many car owners. However, this move is in the right direction and will help solve traffic congestion and environmental pollution.
In the future, the government can not only refer to Norway’s electric vehicle policy, but also specify the blueprint for the popularization of electric vehicles so that citizens can follow the pace of green city development.
After many years, the new "Budget" finally took the initiative.
In the budget announced on Wednesday, Chen Maobo respectively proposed to increase the first registration tax rate for private cars (including electric private cars) by 15% and the license fee by 30% to ease traffic congestion in Hong Kong.
But at the same time, the first registration tax allowance for the "One-for-One Replacement" program for electric vehicles has been increased from RMB 250,000 to RMB 287,500 to encourage more people to choose electric vehicles and reduce environmental pollution caused by traditional fuel vehicles.
The Environment Bureau will announce the first roadmap for the popularization of electric vehicles in Hong Kong in March, including the suspension of new registration of petrol-fueled private cars and the expansion of electric vehicle charging networks by 2035.
(Photo by Ou Jiale)
Hong Kong traffic congestion is severe
Even though the measures have caused a lot of backlash after they took effect on the same day, it is an indisputable fact that the road system in Hong Kong is overwhelming.
According to statistics from the Transport Department, as of the end of 2019, the total number of motorized and non-motorized vehicles registered in Hong Kong reached 890,000, and the growth rate of registered vehicles in the past 10 years was 31.22%.
The direct impact of the increase in the number of vehicles is traffic congestion.
On the whole, the traffic speed during the morning peak hours on the arterial roads in Hong Kong has been reduced from 30.1 km/h in 2009 to 28.6 km/h in 2019.
In other words, even if several major roads have been opened or expanded in the past ten years, the new traffic volume has not been fully digested, and the driving speed will slow down.
On the one hand, the government will increase the cost of buying cars from the demand level, so as to reduce cars at the source. On the other hand, it must also increase the incentives for citizens to switch to shared transportation.
At present, about 90% of the daily trips in Hong Kong use public transport. Although the number is among the highest in the world, the frequent MTR accidents and the serious problem of bus departures also limit the possibility of citizens using public transport.
Moreover, as a substitute for point-to-point transportation and private cars, taxis have long been criticized for their service quality. In addition, the government has not seen any progress in the introduction of online car-hailing, which indirectly stimulates the demand for private cars.
Electric vehicles need a blueprint
Regarding the electric vehicle policy, although the treasurer has increased the first registration tax allowance for the "One-for-One Replacement" scheme, it is not attractive. Therefore, the authorities can also refer to foreign experience and cite more convenient measures for electric vehicle owners.
For example, Norway is a pioneer in the popularization of electric vehicles in the world. The authorities not only allow electric vehicle drivers to use bus lanes and park for free in municipal parking lots, but also reduce or directly exempt the charges for electric vehicles using roads and ferries, as well as exemption of value-added tax. , Import tax, vehicle registration tax, and even tax reductions or exemptions for companies purchasing electric vehicles
Therefore, in addition to addressing the lack of electric vehicle charging facilities, the Hong Kong Government can also adopt a multi-pronged approach from supporting facilities and tax concessions in the future to increase the incentive for citizens to choose electric vehicles.
In order to catch up with the trend of green cities, the Hong Kong government will publish its first roadmap for the popularization of electric vehicles next month. However, any long-term blueprint must also have specific goals and plans to ensure that the plan will not become a slogan in the end.
Chen Maobo only stated that the government will stop newly registering petrol-fueled private cars by 2035. However, it is still unknown how to achieve the target, and there is no explanation as to why it will wait until 2035.
During the transitional period, the government must not only formulate various stages of targets, feasible subsidy plans, old car scrap plans, and even the budget for the number of charging stations, etc., to ensure that the targets are feasible.
Hong Kong is already behind many Western countries in promoting the popularization of electric vehicles. This time, the treasurer's proposal can only be said to be a small step to follow the trend.
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