Today (January 4) is the first working day after the New Year's Day holiday.
Before the holiday, a suggestion that the free policy of expressways on holidays should be “distributed” to normal use aroused concern.
According to news from China Government Network on December 31, 2021, during the New Year's Day and Spring Festival, everyone is very concerned about travel issues. Netizens from Beijing "Qihui" left a message suggesting that the expressway free during holidays should be changed from "free for concentrated hours" to "free for approved quota" ", so that each car can enjoy a certain amount of free.
The netizen left a message that free highway access during holidays is a benefit for the majority of car owners, but the traffic jams and water leaks are a headache. It is recommended to change from "free for concentrated periods" to "free for approved quota".
The number of free days throughout the year can be calculated and converted into kilometers or amount to each vehicle that can enjoy free.
Assuming that each vehicle can enjoy free passage of 3000 kilometers or 2000 yuan throughout the year, whether it is a holiday or normal time, whether it is used during the day or night, it will be credited to the vehicle's account.
Once the approved quota is used up, it will begin to charge and change the “major concentration” and “university” to a decentralized and free method.
Can the toll-free policy on expressways during holidays be "distributed" to normal use?
How feasible is this proposal?
In response, the Ministry of Transport replied that reforms and adjustments require in-depth research and demonstration, scientific evaluation and analysis, and overall consideration of relevant policies.
Experts say the proposal is not feasible
Change from "Free for Concentrated Time" to "Free for Approved Quota". How do you view this proposal?
He Xingdong, deputy director of the Transportation Consulting Center of the Comprehensive Transportation Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Macroeconomics, told the "Daily Economic News" reporter that my country's policy has always been a comprehensive policy, and the policy has its expected goals.
The policy of toll-free expressway during holidays is a supporting policy of the "Golden Week", and one of the original intentions of the "Golden Week" is to encourage everyone to travel and travel during holidays and drive consumption.
"I think that if we make changes in accordance with the suggestions of netizens, it will first violate the original intention of the policy." He Xingdong said that we are not introducing policies for the sake of introducing policies. The starting point is to guide everyone to travel.
The netizen’s suggestion is a universal policy for car owners, which is equivalent to giving car owners a certain amount of consumer coupons every year, but not for holidays, so the policy has no purpose, but it is purely universal for car owners. Welfare.
Not only that, but He Xingdong believes that this suggestion does not achieve the scattered and free domination of everyone expected by the netizen.
This is because as long as the car is on the highway, the quota will be deducted for the first time, and the policy effect will be lost after the quota is used up.
In addition, if many car owners have already used up their quota in the early stage, they may not travel during the holidays. This will have a negative effect on the policy.
"From the perspective of distributing benefits, a car owner may be willing to drive out. If he has other consumption besides driving, it may have a little meaning from the perspective of stimulating consumption." He Xingdong said.
He said that the effect of the toll-free highway policy on holidays is obvious, and it has a great stimulating effect on the development of the tourism industry.
However, it must be acknowledged that this policy has caused a certain degree of congestion on the expressway during holidays, and the travel efficiency and travel experience have deteriorated.
"This policy still has some room for optimization and improvement." He Xingdong said that the policy can be adjusted more refined.
The official said it needs in-depth research and demonstration
In response to this proposal, the Highway Bureau of the Ministry of Transport stated that the main purpose of my country's promulgation and implementation of the policy of exempting small passenger car tolls during major holidays is to ease the congestion of highway toll stations during major holidays and facilitate public travel.
The reason for choosing four major holidays such as Spring Festival, Tomb-sweeping Day, Labor Day, National Day, etc., is mainly because these four holidays are the most prominent in the daily life of the public, and public travel demand and highway traffic increase the most. obvious.
After the implementation of the policy, the problem of congestion at toll stations during major holidays has been effectively alleviated, the efficiency of toll roads has been improved, the rapid development of tourism and domestic consumption has been promoted, and good social effects have been achieved.
"But we have also noticed that during the implementation process, congestion and slow-moving are often seen during peak hours in some economically developed areas such as Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, Yangtze River Delta, Pearl River Delta, Chengdu and Chongqing." Mainly during major holidays, domestic agencies, factories, mines, and schools are closed for public holidays, and the public can travel together with their families, leading to a rapid increase in the volume of road traffic dominated by small buses.
In addition, some arterial roads in these areas were built early and have limited traffic capacity, which cannot meet the actual traffic demand during peak hours.
Multiple factors superimposed, leading to the phenomenon of slow traffic congestion.
The reply stated that to solve these problems, it is necessary to adhere to the system concept, coordinate the optimization of the road network structure, the reconstruction and expansion of key road sections, the adjustment of holiday arrangements, the improvement of traffic policies and other factors, and the simultaneous implementation of multiple measures and comprehensive policies.
The current policy of exempting small passenger car tolls on major holidays has been implemented for 9 years and has achieved certain practical results. In addition, it involves a wide range and complex conditions. Reforms and adjustments require in-depth research and demonstration, scientific evaluation and analysis, and related policies. considering.
In the next step, the Ministry of Transport will supervise and guide all regions in conjunction with relevant departments to continue to strictly implement the policy of exempting small passenger car tolls on major holidays.
Every reporter Zhang Rui, every editor Chen Xing