Transport ministry seeks public opinion on proposed revision to Highway Law

China is considering allowing expressways to continue collecting tolls after their existing toll periods expire, using lower rates to fund maintenance and upgrades, under a proposed revision to the country's Highway Law.

The Ministry of Transport began soliciting public opinion on the draft amendment on Monday, as some of the country's earlier-built expressways approach the end of their toll periods.

Under the draft, expressways, as well as independent bridges and tunnels, would fall under unified government management after their debt-repayment or operating periods expire. Depending on actual needs, vehicle tolls and other means could be used to raise funds for their management and maintenance.

A ministry official said toll rates on expressways that continue charging after their existing toll periods expire would be "significantly lower", with specific rates to be determined according to relevant circumstances.

Expressways incorporated into municipal maintenance systems, or those whose maintenance costs can be covered by government funding, would no longer collect tolls, according to the ministry.

The ministry said the proposed change is intended to address a gap in the current system concerning the financing and maintenance of expressways after toll periods expire.

Under existing policies, revenue from the consumption tax on refined oil products is used to support the maintenance of ordinary roads and does not cover expressway management and maintenance costs.

During an expressway's toll period, toll revenue covers such expenses, but there is no clearly defined funding mechanism once that period ends.

The issue has become more pressing as some early-built expressways reach the end of their toll periods. Many of these roads carry heavy traffic, have been in service for years and face aging infrastructure while remaining important transport corridors, the ministry said.

The draft therefore proposes a user-pays approach under which motorists using such expressways could continue paying tolls to support road management and maintenance.

The ministry said the approach would mean frequent users pay more, occasional users less and nonusers nothing, rather than spreading the cost across a broader group.

After the original toll period expires, toll revenue could be used to fund routine maintenance, major and medium-scale repairs, operational management and emergency response, as well as renovations and digital and intelligence upgrades, according to the ministry.

The proposed revision would also tighten oversight of toll rates.

Currently, toll rates during debt-repayment or operating periods are reviewed and approved by provincial transport authorities together with price authorities at the same level. The draft would instead require provincial-level government approval.

The ministry said authorities would also introduce supporting policies that would strengthen the management of toll revenue and expenditure as well as ensure enhanced auditing and supervision.

China's Highway Law took effect in 1998 and has been amended five times. By the end of 2025, the country's road network had reached 5.58 million kilometers, including 199,000 km of expressways, according to the ministry.

Expressways account for 3.6 percent of the country's road network but handle more than half of the freight turnover carried by roads, the ministry said.

The draft amendment also updates several provisions of the law, including language concerning government financing and terminology used in transport administration.

The ministry said it will collect and review public feedback on the draft and study the suggestions with relevant departments.