Provinces prepare for expressway toll booth removal

Over 30 provinces have been making specific plans to meet the goal of removing all expressway toll booths at provincial borders by the end of this year, a senior official with the Ministry of Transport said Tuesday.

The move aims to reduce logistical costs and improve traffic flow on expressways, said Wu Chungeng, spokesman for the ministry, at a news conference.

According to Wu, 23 provincial-level governments have set up special work teams in order to meet the target on schedule.

Removing expressway toll booths does not mean canceling toll collection, but it does mean realizing fast and nonstop electronic toll collection systems, Wu added.

By the end of this year, more than 80 percent of registered automobiles will have installed ETC devices, and more than 90 percent of vehicles on freeways should be able to use the ETC system, according to the ministry.