Fares and the fare adjustment mechanism of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge that will link the three cities will be clearly stipulated in the tender documents, Secretary for Transport and Housing Eva Cheng said on Friday.

Meanwhile, given this is a large-scale infrastructure awarded on BOT (build-operate-transfer) basis, the builder should bear the risk of an increased construction cost.

Cheng made her points at a meeting of the Legislative Council Panel on Transport on Friday.

In the meeting, legislators Wong Kwok-hing and Albert Chan expressed concern that the government may have problem monitoring the bridge fares and the fare adjustment mechanism in future with the project being awarded in the form of a franchise.

They also worried that in case of insufficient traffic flow, the government has to provide huge subsidies to the operator.

To this end, they suggested the three governments involved form a joint venture to operate the bridge.

However, Cheng said the current BOT arrangement is in line with the interests of three places.

In terms of immigration control, lawmaker Cheung Hok-moing proposed the co-location of immigration and customs facilities for the convenience of the bridge users.

But Cheng said since such an arrangement involves legal implications, it is more realistic to have separate checkpoints.

In regard to the plan to use the northeastern part of the Airport Island as the landing point of the bridge's Hong Kong section,the government said it has consulted green groups and formed the initial view that this option will have the least impact on the white dolphins inhabiting those waters.

(HK Edition 04/26/2008 page1)