When did the national expressways start to be toll-free?
3 Answers
Major statutory holidays with toll-free expressways include the Spring Festival, Tomb-Sweeping Day, Labor Day, and National Day. The specific toll-free periods are as follows: 1. Spring Festival: Starts at 00:00 on New Year's Eve and ends at 24:00 on the sixth day of the lunar new year, lasting for 7 days; 2. Tomb-Sweeping Day: Starts at 00:00 on April 4 and ends at 24:00 on April 6, lasting for 3 days; 3. Labor Day: Starts at 00:00 on May 1 and ends at 24:00 on May 3, lasting for 3 days; 4. National Day: Starts at 00:00 on October 1 and ends at 24:00 on October 7, lasting for 7 days.
As a long-distance driver, I remember the nationwide highway toll-free policy officially started during the National Day holiday in 2012. I was particularly happy when I heard the news, as it could save me hundreds of yuan in toll fees for long trips. Actually, this free policy only applies to four statutory holidays: Spring Festival, Qingming Festival, Labor Day, and National Day, and it's only for passenger vehicles with fewer than 7 seats. I remember during the first time enjoying the free policy, the queues at gas stations were twice as long as usual. A reminder to everyone: the free period is based on the time you exit the highway, so if you're still on the road at 8 PM on the last day, don't cut it too close—it's safer to exit a bit earlier. Now, before every holiday, I always check the free schedule in advance to plan my trip.
I found many people mistakenly believe highways are toll-free all year, but the policy actually only covers four major holidays. When it was implemented in 2012, I specifically studied the details: 7-day free during Spring Festival and National Day, 3-day free during Qingming and Labor Day, with the timing calculated from midnight. The most important thing to note is the traffic congestion caused by the toll-free deadline. Last National Day, I personally witnessed a 5-kilometer queue before the toll gate. It's advisable to bring enough food and drinks when traveling and remain patient if encountering traffic jams. Nowadays, Amap pushes real-time reminders about toll-free periods, and setting up the route in navigation before departure is particularly convenient.
