A toll house is seen for admission to the picturesque Grassland Road in Zhangbei county of Zhangjiakou, North China's Hebei Province. (Photo/Chinanews.com)
(ECNS) – The picturesque Grassland Road in Zhangbei county of Zhangjiakou, North China's Hebei Province, has sparked controversy following a local government announcement that an admission fee will be collected on vehicles, Beijing Youth Daily reported.
The Zhangbei government said the admission has been set at 50 yuan ($7.7) per person, effective from May 1. Designated visitors are entitled to discounts and free admission according to relevant preferential policies.
The document said the local government invested hugely on developing the road and is still investing in enhanced infrastructure construction, renovation and maintenance. The decision was made after it was passed at a hearing and approved by the county government, it said.
The "grassland sky road", also dubbed China's Route 66, is well-known for its fascinating scenery, best enjoyed while driving. However, experts said it is inappropriate to charge a fee on vehicles.
Ma Xiaolong, director of the Institute of Regional Tourism Planning and Development under the China Tourism Academy, told the paper that the Grassland Road is a state-owned road, not an expressway, and thus should be free of charge to any users.
Ma said it does not make sense that the local government began to mull turning it into a tourist destination and charging fees only after people had already begun driving on the road and finding the scenery beautiful.
The local government has the obligation to maintain the road to ensure safety and should not charge fees for additional services that it voluntarily provides but visitors did not ask for, Ma said.
If the local government wants to build the road, making it a scenic spot, it should offer an alternative road for traffic purposes and should not force anyone passing by to buy an admission ticket, the expert explained.
Zhangbei county invested 325 million yuan in building the 132.7-kilometer-long country-level road in September 2012, according to the paper. Both country and provincial tourism authorities promote the road as a scenic spot on their websites, but it is unclear when it officially became a tourist destination, the report said.
