Is the highway free on New Year's Day 2021?
3 Answers
2021 New Year's Day highway is not free. The free passage time range includes four national statutory holidays: Spring Festival, Qingming Festival, Labor Day, and National Day, as well as the consecutive holidays determined by the State Council office documents for the above statutory holidays in that year. The free period starts at 0:00 on the first day of the holiday and ends at 24:00 on the last day of the holiday. For ordinary highways, the time is based on when the vehicle passes through the toll lane of the toll station, while for highways, it is based on when the vehicle leaves the exit toll lane. The free vehicles are passenger vehicles with 7 seats or less (including 7 seats) traveling on toll roads, including motorcycles allowed to travel on ordinary toll roads.
I remember that there was actually no free expressway policy on New Year's Day in 2021, as January 1st didn't have toll-free passage. As someone who loves driving for leisure trips, I specifically checked the official notice—expressway toll waivers only apply to four major holidays: Spring Festival, Qingming Festival, Labor Day, and National Day. January 1, 2021, was a Friday, classified as a regular workday, so tolls were still charged as usual. Many people mistakenly assume all short holidays are toll-free, but this policy was designed to ease peak travel during the Spring Festival rush. Before traveling, it's advisable to download the traffic management app or check the Ministry of Transport's official website to avoid unnecessary trips. During holidays, roads are crowded with heavy traffic, so safe driving is paramount—don’t rush just to save a bit on tolls.
Friend, the expressway is not free on New Year's Day 2021. I also have to pay when driving out on January 1st. The policy only covers major holidays like the Spring Festival or National Day. Although New Year's Day is a short holiday, it is not on the list. When traveling, you can follow WeChat public accounts such as China Traffic Release to get the latest news. The design of free expressways is to reduce congestion and promote tourism, but there are relatively fewer people traveling on New Year's Day. Plan your route well and leave early to reduce the risk of fatigue driving. Holiday happiness is more important, don't let small expenses affect your mood.
