Airport expressway halves toll

By Qin Zhongwei (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-09-30 11:27

Motorists driving between Beijing Capital International Airport and downtown will only need to pay toll in one direction from Oct 1.

Tianzhu station, the main toll gate on the airport expressway, will only charge vehicles traveling in the direction of the airport, said Beijing Enterprise Group, which indirectly holds a 96 percent share of the airport expressway. If a vehicle makes the return journey more than once a day, they will be charged in both directions.

Yanglin station, about 1km west of Tianzhu on the airport expressway, will still charge cars in both directions but has cut fares by 50 percent. Drivers usually pay 10 yuan ($1.4) in each direction.

The other toll stations on the expressway will continue to charge motorists as usual, the company said.

The Beijing Capital International Airport used to be a remote outpost far beyond the reach of third and fourth Ring roads. The 18.735 km expressway opened in 1993, and connected the third, fourth and fifth Ring roads with the airport.

But there have been complaints in recent years because the expressway still charges toll to motorists even though it has repaid its 1.17-billion-yuan ($172 million) debt. Figures from the Beijing municipal committee of communications show about 150,000 vehicles use the expressway everyday.

Tong Lihua, a lawyer and a member of Beijing municipal people's congress who proposed in 2008 that the airport expressway should stop charging tolls once it makes a profit, said he is happy to see the "partly free" policy.

"It is a good news, though it is still an initial achievement." Tong said.

Yang Zemin, a Beijing taxi driver for six years, said he always feels very reluctant to hand in the 10 yuan toll after returning from the airport.

"Sometimes I only earn 50 or 60 yuan by taking a passenger from downtown to the very distant airport, which is also very time-consuming," Yang said.

Gao Zhanyi, another Beijing taxi driver who often does the airport run, said he was afraid that the new policy would not last long.

Drivers are advised to keep the receipts from their inbound trip so they will be exempted from paying tolls for the return journey.