The National Freeway Bureau yesterday said that drivers on National Freeway No. 5 are to be charged different toll fees at peak and off-peak hours, with a trial of the measure scheduled to begin on Saturday next week.
Although Freeway No. 5 has helped shorten the trip between Taipei and Yilan to about one hour, there has been a constant problem with congestion due to the limited capacity of the Hsuehshan Tunnel.
To ease congestion, the bureau launched a trial of a high occupancy vehicle measure on the northbound lanes of the freeway between 2pm and 8pm every Sunday from July 2012. Starting next month, the measure is to be enforced during more hours.
The high occupancy vehicle policy requires that drivers of small passenger vehicles carry at least two other passengers before they are allowed to drive on the freeway. Meanwhile, the bureau said it is also launching a trial operation which is set to charge motorists different rates during peak and off-peak times, which is to begin next weekend.
Specifically, the peak hours for southbound traffic during the trial operation are between 6am and 12pm Saturday, including Aug. 16, Aug. 23, Sept. 13 and Sept. 20. The off-peak hours for northbound traffic are between 6am and 12pm on Sunday, including Aug. 17, Aug. 24, Sept. 14 and Sept. 21.
The bureau said that motorists driving on Freeway No. 5 are to pay a 50 percent higher toll fee if they are driving south during the peak hours, whereas those driving north during the off-peak hours are to pay a toll fee 50 percent lower. People driving south at off-peak hours on Saturdays, as well as those driving north at peak hours on Sundays, are to pay the same toll fees as they do now, the bureau said.
The bureau cited motorists driving from Nangang (南港) to Suao (蘇澳) as an example, who are to pay the same toll fees as they do now if they leave on Saturday morning and return on Sunday morning, leave on Saturday afternoon and return Sunday afternoon or leave Sunday morning and return Sunday afternoon.
The toll fees drivers have to pay will be reduced by NT$32 if they hit the road on Saturday afternoon and return Sunday morning.
By contrast, they would have to pay NT$32 more than they do now if they leave Saturday morning and return Sunday afternoon or if they leave Saturday morning and return Saturday afternoon.
Bureau Deputy Director-General Wu Mu-fu (吳木富) said that the bureau is planning to employ a similar measure to ease the traffic on all freeways during the Mid-Autumn Festival holiday this year, which lasts from Sept. 6 to Sept. 8.
He said that the bureau has yet to settle on rates for peak and off-peak hours.
Based on the bureau’s preliminary plan, drivers are to be given toll-free hours from 11pm to 6am during the three-day holiday. The toll-free distance of 20km per day is to be canceled during the holiday as well.
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