节假日高速免费方案获批

The latest notice released by the State Council is set to offer a free pass for private vehicles during travel peaks.

Passenger cars with seven seats or less as well as motorcycles will be able to travel through toll roads, bridges and tunnels for free during the Spring Festival, Tombsweeping Day, Labor Day and the National Day holidays.

Liu Yue is a motorist who spends most of the holidays behind the wheel.

"Of course, I'm happy to hear the news. It will help a great deal to cut my travel expenses. One time, I spent around 600 yuan on the toll ways for one trip. I will definitely go for a ride once the toll ways open for free, it will be a totally different experience to drive on free roads. "

However, Xiao Yang who mostly drives to get home from work, says the new rule could bring more traffic to the road.

"Families who initially planned to go for a day tour may change their plan and go for a longer tour. It may start a traffic jam. Why couldn't the roads open for free everyday?"

Last year, traffic authorities in 16-provinces released reports on their toll ways, saying most of the roads are heavily in debt.

The report shows many of the provinces owe over 1-billion-yuan for toll road construction, with only four including Beijing recording profits.

However, drivers are becoming concerned some toll roads are luring money long after the debts have been repaid.

Cheng Shidong, a researcher with the Institute of Comprehensive Transportation of National Development and Reform Commission, says it has to do with the toll ways management system.

"At first, the roads were managed individually, and now, the toll roads are wrapped in a package and managed by local governments. Take Beijing for example, the money collected from all toll ways, no matter from Beijing-Tangshan expressway or Beijing-Shijiazhuang expressway, are governed by the same body, and the local authority will use the money to cover the debts for those toll ways that fail to generate profits. "

Cheng adds that opening toll ways for free on public holidays is not an ideal solution to curb traffic congestion or excessive toll way charges.

"The toll ways are always busy during holidays and they may become even more congested if cars are allowed to go through for free. Plus, for a long-term solution, local governments can re-negotiate their commission contracts with toll way management companies to cut down the fee collection period or the charging standard. "

Toll roads across the country can charge for a maximum of 30 years.

China has over 74-thousand kilometers of highways, 95-percent of which are toll roads.

For CRI, I'm Autumn Szeliga.