Skip to main content

New ‘pay-as-you-go’ freeway policy to be introduced in Taiwan

A ‘pay-as-you-go’ policy is set to be introduced on some of Taiwan’s national freeways from August or September 2013, the country’s Minister of Communications, Yeh Kuang-shih, has revealed. People driving along north-south freeways will get 20km of toll-free distance before having to pay a fee. According to results of a survey carried out by the National Freeway Bureau (NFB), the 20km toll-free policy was supported by 40% of Taiwan's population. The ministry will soon be briefing parliament’s Transportation
March 15, 2013 Read time: 2 mins
A ‘pay-as-you-go’ policy is set to be introduced on some of Taiwan’s national freeways from August or September 2013, the country’s Minister of Communications, Yeh Kuang-shih, has revealed.

People driving along north-south freeways will get 20km of toll-free distance before having to pay a fee.

According to results of a survey carried out by the National Freeway Bureau (NFB), the 20km toll-free policy was supported by 40% of Taiwan's population. The ministry will soon be briefing parliament’s Transportation Committee on the toll fee changes.

Meanwhile, Lee Kun-tse, a Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislator, has disclosed that the amount of freeway tolls collected by the NFB totals US$ 740.70mn (TWD 22bn) a year. Toll rates should be reduced, says Kun-tse, if the NFB’s yearly revenue surpasses the amount. Responding to this, the Transportation and Communications Minister has agreed to reduce the rates if annual revenue from toll fees surpasses TWD 22bn. A total of three possible toll options had been proposed by the NFB in 2012.

Related Content

  • The US FAST Act: a job left unfinished
    April 4, 2016
    US roads and bridges are crumbling at an alarming rate as state governments wring their hands over the increasingly scarce money for repairs. Enter the FAST Act. But is it enough? US state transportation department officials, as well as highway contractors and operators, breathed a sigh of relief in December. For months the highways infrastructure sector waited anxiously to see where the necessary money for road projects would come from. For several years, the Highways Trust Fund – the usual way of paying f
  • Virginia state issues RFP for $2.1 billion Interstate 66 toll expansion
    December 23, 2015
    The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) has issued a draft request for proposals (RFP) for the US$2.1 billion Interstate 66 tolled expansion project. Work under a 40-50-year public-private partnership is expected to include construction of 46km of lanes.
  • Solutions to road user charging
    April 11, 2012
    In this second of a two-part article, Jack Opiola, demonstrates that the imposition of a government provided GPS mandate to levy mileage tax could be eliminated by offering motorists transparent choices regarding their manner of compliance. The key to a mileage tax system without a GPS mandate is through offering motorists choices. Most motorists are consumers who are comfortable with selecting products and services from among options available in the marketplace. A mileage tax can be built upon this reali
  • Solutions to road user charging
    February 28, 2012
    In this second of a two-part article, Jack Opiola, demonstrates that the imposition of a government provided GPS mandate to levy mileage tax could be eliminated by offering motorists transparent choices regarding their manner of compliance. The key to a mileage tax system without a GPS mandate is through offering motorists choices. Most motorists are consumers who are comfortable with selecting products and services from among options available in the marketplace. A mileage tax can be built upon this realit