During the National Day holiday, a toll-free policy is implemented across the country for passenger vehicles with 7 seats or less. The free toll period is from 0:00 on October 1 to 24:00 on October 7. The free highway toll policy has always been the focus of holiday car owners. Entering the expressway in advance, still on the way near the toll-free deadline, choosing the wrong expressway lane to enter or exit, and vehicle models that do not meet the toll-free standards are four types of high-frequency scenarios in which car owners encountered mispayment of tolls during the National Day holidays in previous years.
In view of the above possible problems, what should you pay attention to when driving on the highway during National Day? How is free highway calculated? What are the ways to easily spend more money?
Many car owners mistakenly believe that free expressway tolls need to wait until after 0:00 on October 1 before they can get on the expressway. Therefore, on the evening of September 30 every year, there will be waiting vehicles in the toll plazas of many places. This is actually wrong. Parking illegally in groups is not only likely to cause rear-end collisions and scratches, but is also a traffic violation and will be punished by the traffic police.
The issue of return billing on the last day of the holiday is also a frequent pitfall for many car owners. According to the rules, if you get on the expressway during the free period but get off the expressway after 24:00 on October 7, you will be charged the full toll.
In response to these misunderstandings of car owners, Tong Xiaoyi, the second-level police sergeant of the Order and Service Guidance Brigade of the Traffic Control Detachment of Huangshan City Public Security Bureau in Anhui Province, said that according to the clear explanation made public by the Ministry of Transport, the criterion for determining the highway toll-free policy is completely anchored in the time when the vehicle leaves the exit toll lane, and is not directly tied to the time when it enters the entrance. This means that if the car owner drives into the expressway in advance before entering the free period on September 30, he can enjoy the free toll as long as he leaves the toll exit after 0:00 on October 1. In contrast, if the car owner has entered the expressway during the free period, but does not leave the exit until after 24:00 on October 7, he will need to pay the full toll.
Many self-driving car owners had not arrived at their destination before the toll-free deadline due to improper itinerary arrangements. They eventually missed the toll-free window and had to pay the full toll. Officials have given clear guidelines for this kind of situation. Tong Xiaoyi said that if you are still driving on the highway before 24:00 on October 7, you can choose to drive out of the nearest toll station in advance and then re-enter after the free period is over. In this way, you only need to pay the toll for the last leg of the subsequent journey, minimizing the toll cost.
Police officer Tong Xiaoyi reminded that when traveling during the National Day holiday, there are clear regulations on free vehicle types and lanes on highways. The coverage of the free toll policy has clear vehicle boundaries. Only passenger vehicles with 7 seats or less can enjoy toll-free treatment. Pickups, various freight vehicles and passenger cars with an approved capacity of more than 7 seats are not covered by the free policy. Even if you leave the exit during the free period, you need to pay the toll normally.
According to reports, although the transportation industry standard "Vehicle Toll Vehicle Classification on Toll Roads" has revised the classification limit of Class 1 and Class 2 passenger cars from 7 to 9 people and the vehicle length is less than 6 meters, the free policy for major holidays such as National Day still uses the original caliber. 9-seater passenger cars are not included in the free scope for the time being. Owners of such models need to be prepared to pay in advance and do not misjudge that they can pass for free. In addition, regarding the lanes for going up and down the expressway, police officer Tong Xiaoyi reminded that car owners should try to choose the same type of lane for going up and down the expressway. When entering from the artificial channel, drive out from the artificial channel, and when entering from the ETC channel, drive out from the ETC channel to avoid unnecessary traffic trouble.
Therefore, the core judgment logic of the free expressway policy on major holidays such as National Day is to grasp two points in time:
Free starting from 0:00 on October 1st;
Charges will start after 24:00 on October 7.
The traffic police department reminds everyone that there are many vehicles on the highway during holidays, so you should pay special attention to safe driving. Zhao Qiang, captain of the Daguang Expressway Brigade of the Traffic Management Detachment of Xinxiang City, Henan Province, said that the expressway traffic police are in accordance with the deployment of the superior department, and all personnel are on duty to control traffic safety on roads and toll stations 24 hours a day to ensure that drivers can travel better and have safe and smooth traffic during holidays. He also hopes that drivers will cooperate with the traffic police and better enjoy the country’s free policy.
Producer丨Liu Li
Reporter丨Guan Xin
