When is the toll free in 2020?

[JaxsonLee]

Here are the specific times for toll-free highways in 2020: 1. Spring Festival: From 00:00 on January 24 (New Year's Eve) to 24:00 on January 30 (the sixth day of the Lunar New Year), the highway is toll-free for a total of 7 days. 2. Qingming Festival: From 00:00 on April 4 to 24:00 on April 6, it is toll-free for a total of 3 days. 3. Labor Day: From 00:00 on May 1 to 24:00 on May 3, the highway is toll-free for a total of 3 days. 4. National Day: From 00:00 on October 1 to 24:00 on October 7, the highway is toll-free for a total of 7 days.

[OSimon]

During the 2020 pandemic, there was indeed a long period of toll-free travel. Starting from midnight on February 17, highways nationwide were free for passenger vehicles with 7 seats or fewer. Initially set to end on June 30, the policy was later extended to midnight on May 5 due to ongoing epidemic control needs. I remember saving nearly a thousand yuan on fuel and toll fees during my long-distance trips back then, with toll gates simply lifting the barriers for quick passage. However, it's important to note that the free policy only applied to passenger vehicles—trucks still had to pay as usual. When tolls resumed in July, I had spare change ready in my car, but the ETC deducted the fee directly. Looking back, it was truly a special policy for extraordinary times.

[OBennett]

That year after the Spring Festival, the highways suddenly became toll-free for about four months, from mid-February to early May, with all passenger vehicles exempt from charges. Our fleet drivers ran the Shanghai-Kunming route daily, and in March alone, they saved over 20,000 yuan in toll fees compared to usual. But the policy was strictly enforced: only blue-plated passenger vehicles were eligible—pickup trucks, even with seven seats, didn’t qualify; both entry and exit had to occur within the free period; and overloaded vehicles still faced fines if caught. On the day the policy ended in mid-May, I saw many cars rushing to exit the highway just before the midnight cutoff at toll stations, creating a lively scene like New Year’s Eve.

[LaBeau]

The toll-free policy in 2020 was implemented in two phases: first, from February 17 to May 5, all highways nationwide were free for passenger vehicles with seven seats or fewer, and then tolls were reinstated until the end of the year. However, during statutory holidays like Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day, an eight-day toll-free period remained. When I returned to my hometown during Qingming Festival, I noticed long queues at the charging stations in service areas—the free policy made new energy vehicles even more cost-effective. A detail to note: vehicles equipped with ETC would switch to a 'toll fee of 0 yuan' deduction mode during the free period. Don’t speed just because the barrier lifts quickly; my colleague got a ticket for that.

[AdrianaLee]

That year's free period timeline was exceptionally clear: a full 79 days from 00:00 on February 17th to 00:00 on May 6th. My old man counted the days every day, planning a northwest road trip before the May Day holiday ended. But note that the exemption only applied to toll roads—ordinary highways like Xiamen Bridge still charged as usual. After tolls resumed, I observed a phenomenon: some drivers had grown so accustomed to free passage that they became unaccustomed to the 'beep' of ETC when suddenly having to pay again. Once at the Hangzhou Bay Bridge exit, I even saw a 300-meter backup in the manual toll lane.

[KingMarie]

The toll-free policy on highways in 2020 lasted from winter to early summer, which was a great benefit for frequent travelers. Key milestones: tolls were waived starting from the peak of the pandemic in February and resumed after the beginning of summer in early May. I personally verified the policy boundaries during a delivery in April—toll exemptions did not apply to freight vehicles with more than seven seats, and mini vans carrying mixed loads were subject to strict inspections. Additionally, on typically congested sections like the Humen Bridge, traffic surged by 30% during the toll-free period. It's advisable to avoid peak travel times when similar policies are in effect.