The future toll for the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge will be set at a level sufficient to repay bank loans and support daily maintenance costs, Secretary for Transport & Housing Eva Cheng says.

On a radio programme today, Ms Cheng said a joint work committee the three jurisdictions form will jointly decide on the toll, which she hoped can be as low as possible to promote traffic flows and regional exchanges.

She noted the three governments aim to start advance work as soon as possible. They made a wise decision to finance the project, she added, as the earlier proposed build-operate-transfer mode would be hard to realise under the current economic situation.

The bridge, Ms Cheng said, will generate huge economic benefits and create 11,000 jobs for the construction of Hong Kong's control point and link roads. On completion, the city will be directly connected with the western delta region, benefiting the local aviation and container industries.

A Hong Kong-Guangdong expert group will be formed soon to study the possibility of issuing short-term private car licences for the two places, such as for five to 10 days.

Ms Cheng said the plan will be implemented in steps, taking into account the emission requirements, insurance and road capacities of the two places. She expects a pilot scheme could be launched at the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Western Corridor in a year.