China highways bleeding money despite high tolls

BEIJING:

China is losing  more than $10 billion
a year from its expressways,state media
reported Wednesday despite  levying hefty
tolls on the world's largest highway network
.
Chins spent 431 billion yuan on building
,maintaining and operating  highways in 2013,
The China Daily reported.

Laying one kilometre of highway cost about
91 million yuan in 2013 an 80 percent increase
from 2011 according to the Minister of Transports
annual report.

Under current regulations ,local transport bureaux
can collect tolls for 15 years to recoup the cost
of building highways.But many have also applied
for extension for what they say are maintenance
costs,the China Daily reported.

China has the longest highway network in the
world with 156,500  kilometre of expressways
including  more  than 100,000 kilometres of
the  tolls roads.

Many drivers bemoan the unubiquitous
tolls fees ,which can make driving between
two cities or taking road trips prohbitively
expensive.
AFP