Motorbikes / Expressways

[998S]

And a further update from "Democratic China" [via Focus Taiwan News Channel].
The general feeling is, that the government will budge soon, and bikers will finally (after almost 15 years of getting legal) be allowed on the Taiwanese Freeways (=Highways).


Safety concerns remain about big bikes on freeways: ministry

Taipei, Aug. 15 (CNA)
There are still safety concerns about allowing heavy-duty bikes onto freeways, the government said Wednesday, in response to a protest by motorcyclists about a delay in the announcement of certain regulations.

Hundreds of bikers gathered in front of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications earlier in the day, calling for the ministry to cease delaying its announcement on which freeway sections bikers can use and during which time slots.

The Legislature decided last November to allow motorcycles with engines of over 550cc onto freeways, but said riders have to follow regulations set by the transportation ministry about road sections and time slots.

Although the measure took effect July 1, it was withdrawn on July 10 because the transportation ministry had not been able to reach a consensus on road sections and time slots with local governments, which expressed qualms about the safety of big bikes on freeways.

The delay was due to opposition from governments in Taichung, Tainan, Kaohsiung, Nantou and Pingtung, the ministry said, adding that it will continue to discuss the issue with the local governments.

A total of 28,000 motorcycles over 550cc are registered in Taiwan, according to data from the transportation ministry.

By Wang Shu-fen and Scully Hsiao

[euphonius]

Tried to find pictures of this "mass event", but failed. Would like to see hundreds or thousands of bikes gathered outside a government building!

cheers!

[TB-Racing]

anyone up for some high speed runs.... just kidding but you never know.....

Toll waiving likely to bog down highway traffic
Shanghai Daily Newspaper 2012-9-10

Motorists will encounter serious gridlocks on highways during the upcoming National Day holiday because of a new national policy to suspend toll collection during major public holidays.

The eight-day holiday will start on September 30 and will see a big exodus as families take advantage of the long holiday to travel.

The traffic department said the waiving of road tolls can cut the cost of a self-drive trip by half and may result in a spike in highway traffic during the holiday. Many drivers who previously chose toll-free roads will be tempted to travel on expressways.

Traffic authorities said they are still working on a contingency plan to cope with anticipated jams on highways as a result of the new national policy.

[felix]

Is that an invitation? You saying all those toll booths won't be manned?

[ZMC888]

I was coming down on the bus from Beijing to Shandong last month and there was a 5km/2hr tailback on the way into a toll-booth at 8pm. So now we get to see the regular stretches that aren't toll-booths go tits-up too?

Most of the expressways around my area only have two lanes, yet around London we have 4-5 (M25 London orbital) lanes. Whoever decided that 2-3 lanes would be enough on the expressway network in a country of 1.5 billion won't be sleeping comfortably in their bed over the holiday period. Next the car drivers will be clamoring for trucks to be banned from the expressway no doubt.

[soberpete]

Is that an invitation? You saying all those toll booths won't be manned?

It's worth a gander. No harm in riding up to the booths for a quick look. It's not like we can't slip past the traffic that would be queuing up.

[TB-Racing]

Toll-free traffic to be no picnic over holidays


Source: Xinhua | 2012-9-17 | NEWSPAPER EDITION SHANGHAI DAILY
________________________________


CHINA'S new policy that exempts passenger cars from road tolls during holidays is expected to spur unprecedented road traffic during the country's upcoming Golden Week holiday.


The public, including the country's 236 million licensed drivers, will be exempt from about 10 billion yuan (US$1.58 billion) in highway tolls during China's longest-ever eight-day Golden Week holiday, running from September 30 to October 7.


The policy will greatly benefit people planning to drive themselves to their holiday destinations, but it will also generate massive traffic pressure, said Chen Xiongzhang, a communications researcher with Guangxi Normal University.


In early August, the State Council, China's Cabinet, approved a plan to lift road tolls for passenger cars taking highways during major Chinese holidays.


Passenger cars with seven seats or less and motorcycles will get a free pass on toll roads, bridges and tunnels during the Spring Festival, Qingming Festival, Labor Day and National Day, said the notice issued by the State Council on August 2.


People have long complained that toll gates cause highway traffic jams during national holidays. Tolls take up 30-40 percent of expenses incurred by those driving themselves to destinations throughout China.


An online survey conducted by Sina and Tencent, two major Chinese web portals, revealed that nearly 80 percent of respondents have planned to drive to their holiday destinations.


Some Internet users have posted a "money-saving travel map," showing exactly how much toll money will be saved when the policy is in effect.


Meanwhile, the policy has also encouraged more people to rent cars for their holiday journeys, according to some major car rental companies.


In previous years, the holiday travel rush would peak in the first two and last two days of the Golden Week, but the new policy is expected to see the rush extend throughout the entire holiday.


Nearly all trunk roads to provincial and regional capitals and popular tourist destinations will be congested, Chen predicted.


China has not set up a complete transportation information collection system encompassing the highway, railway, aviation and shipping sectors. The lack of this system makes it difficult for government authorities to evaluate and guide traffic pressures. The upcoming holiday will offer the country a chance to form an advanced traffic management system, he said.

http://www.shanghaidaily.com/nsp/Nat...er%2Bholidays/

[bikerdoc]

^TB that is all good, but the application of motorcycles is to those parts of the expressway system that doesn't forbid bikes at the local level. Bearing in mind that many different parts of the national expressway system are operated by local governments and in some cases by road construction companies. As such some parts of the expressway allow motorcycles, while other sections do not. The other aspect to consider is that tolls also can be found on national and provincial highways, wherein motorcycles generally speaking are exempt from paying tolls by using designated cycle lanes to the sides of most toll stations on those types of highways.

Essentially expressways will not charge tolls, but where motorcycle bans are in effect this will likely remain so. The upshot is that perhaps many tolls will be unmanned or at least reduced manning might occur and that might increase the chances that some riders of motorcycles chose to sneak on to expressways ;)

[ZMC888]

I think the point of this exercise is to prove to the Chinese public that Tolls are needed as a tool to fight gridlock, so that future toll payers see themselves as VIPs who are paying for less congestion.

[soberpete]

If the express ways are going to be as congested as hell then they're, at least, not even going to bother chasing any motorcycles that sneak on. I'm just trying to imagine how much lane-splitting it will actually involve. Maybe I'll just try it around the early hours in the morning: 2am-5am. Perhaps the standard roads will be practically empty? I've a feeling that the trucks and lorries are going to have a party on the standard roads this holiday.