Skip to main content

Japan's toll-free pilot

The Japanese Government is planning to make several expressway sections toll-free. This forms part of a pilot programme, with six sections of the country's expressway network intended to be made toll-free for all vehicles.
February 10, 2012 Read time: 1 min
The Japanese Government is planning to make several expressway sections toll-free. This forms part of a pilot programme, with six sections of the country's expressway network intended to be made toll-free for all vehicles. The six road sections being considered for the pilot programme measure a total of 330km and include stretches of the Oita Expressway, Akita Expressway and the Doto Expressway. A further five more sections may be made toll-free for trucks and other large vehicles that are driven at night. These five sections would be made toll-free under the pilot scheme until December 2011 but the tolling would then be resumed for the winter. These five sections measure around 1,500km and include sections of the Kyushu Expressway and Tohoku Expressway. The government is also considering extending its existing toll-free pilot programme for fiscal 2010 until end-June 2011. The programme, which involved lifting tolls on 37 sections of 50 expressway routes, will expire on 31 March 2011 unless it is given the additional extension now under review.

Related Content

  • China looks to the future with major highway plans
    February 15, 2012
    China is still moving ahead with plans that will give it the world's biggest highway system. Patrick Smith reports. As China's economy grows even more, keeping the country on the move has become a priority for the government. While the country has made great strides over the past decade in improving its infrastructure, the number of vehicles has also increased rapidly, and in some instances restrictions have been placed on them.
  • India rushing to improve its highway system
    February 9, 2012
    Despite the world economic slowdown, India still seems in a rush to improve its highway system as Patrick Smith reports. Later this year India will be seen by hundreds of millions worldwide when the country's capital New Delhi hosts its biggest event ever.
  • India pushing ahead with infrastructure projects
    July 4, 2012
    Despite the economic downturn, India looks to be pressing ahead with its major infrastructure projects to further boost its incredible growth. Patrick Smith reports India, which like most countries has been affected by the current economic climate, although not to the same extent, is pressing ahead with its ambitious highway construction plans. Each week new projects are completed, started or awarded as the nation seeks to improve its transportation requirements. These are needed to meet the aspirations of
  • Major highway growth in Portugal
    April 12, 2012
    Twenty years ago Portugal was bottom of the European league in terms of roads and safety. A series of ambitious plans has seen the country rise to the top. Patrick Smith reports on how this was achieved In Portugal, out of 3,600km of main national roads (IP+IC), some 1,500km of motorways/high-capacity routes are financed under public-private partnership (PPP) agreements. These are tolled either using shadow tolls (these are being phased out) or real tolls, and plans are in hand to make routes multi free-fl