Advisor calls for end to highway tolls
Source: Xinhua |
March 11, 2012, Sunday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
A POLITICAL advisor yesterday suggested scraping highway tolls and cutting expressway fees.
Sun Jiye, a member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference National Committee, said highways should be viewed as a public service that the government offers free-of-charge. He added that China, as the second-largest economy in the world, is financially capable of making them toll-free.
"As traffic flow continues to pick up, toll fees should be reduced. It won't affect the investors in retrieving investment and making profits," said Sun, who is also deputy director of the Shandong Provincial Department of Supervision.
Regulations stipulate tolls can be collected for a maximum of 15 years after a highway opens, but "profit-oriented" highways can collect tolls for up to 25 years.
Increasingly high tolls and rampant illegal tolling stations have long been criticized by the public and have led to higher logistics costs, which contribute to the country's inflation.
Sun Jiye, a member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference National Committee, said highways should be viewed as a public service that the government offers free-of-charge. He added that China, as the second-largest economy in the world, is financially capable of making them toll-free.
"As traffic flow continues to pick up, toll fees should be reduced. It won't affect the investors in retrieving investment and making profits," said Sun, who is also deputy director of the Shandong Provincial Department of Supervision.
Regulations stipulate tolls can be collected for a maximum of 15 years after a highway opens, but "profit-oriented" highways can collect tolls for up to 25 years.
Increasingly high tolls and rampant illegal tolling stations have long been criticized by the public and have led to higher logistics costs, which contribute to the country's inflation.
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