Motorists get free three-day pass on toll roads for Tomb-sweeping Day

Some 20 provinces and municipalities in China announced on Tuesday they will give motorists free passage on toll highways during the Tomb-sweeping Day holiday, making it the third national holiday since the policy was implemented in October last year which allows passenger vehicles to travel without charge.

The toll-free period, starting on Thursday and ending Sunday, will allow vehicles with seven seats or less to travel for free. Cars entering the toll roads during the three-day period but leaving after the deadline will be charged tolls.

Motorists will not have to stop at toll booths to collect a ticket, a practice during the previous holidays that caused massive traffic jams.

Drivers traveling to and from Shanghai will enjoy an hour-long "grace period" before the free travel period ends on Sunday. Drivers traveling during the period will have to collect a toll ticket but they won't be charged.

Vehicles with seven seats or less traveling on highways in Tianjin will travel on designated lanes of expressways separate from larger vehicles such as trucks and tour buses. Larger vehicles will still be charged toll fees during the period.

In Shanxi Province, local governments said if lineups at toll booths exceed 500 meters near the deadline, the free travel period will be extended.

In the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, people who plan to visit the cemetery of the revolutionary martyrs will be granted a special certificate from the government. With that certificate, vehicles will be allowed to travel for free on highways until midnight April 13.

In Hebei Province, the local department of transportation ruled that the number of lanes open to traffic cannot be less than 40 percent of the total number of lanes. The government also required highway companies to install signs at least 1,000 meters ahead of the toll booth informing drivers which lane they must travel on.