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Close down toll stations fast

(China Daily)
Updated: 2009-01-13 07:35

The government-funded national grade-two highway toll stations should be closed down as soon as possible to avoid harming the interests of the public, says an article on the website of Xinhua News Agency. The following is an excerpt:

With the fuel tax replacing the previous road maintenance fees since the first day of this year, the toll stations on national grade-two highways, which are funded by the government, are to be shut nationwide. According to reports, a scheme is being worked out to identify which ones are to be closed first in some provinces that have the right road conditions.

Given the reality of this type of roads built by the government, the public understands that the closures should be carried out step by step. But the public still hopes that the government can have a timetable for their shutdown.

According to previous reform experience, pilot programs adopted by the government in fields like education and healthcare usually span at least one year, some even extending to two or more years. Moreover, the large-scale adoption will not take place usually until the success of the pilot programs.

As a result, the public will have to pay both fuel tax and road maintenance fees at the same time, which of course harms their interests. So, the toll stations should stop operating as soon as possible.

(China Daily 01/13/2009 page8)