1,000-Yen congestion surcharge eyed during Tokyo Olympic

May 22, 2019

Tokyo--The transport ministry, the Tokyo metropolitan government and other authorities are considering a 1,000-yen congestion surcharge for some sections of the metropolitan expressway network during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, informed sources said Wednesday.

The expressways subject to the extra toll are likely be the Central Circular Route and inner zone sections, according to the sources. Trucks of logistics businesses will be exempted from the surcharge.

The surcharge amount will be set based on the results of a trial of congestion-alleviating measures to be conducted in cooperation with private-sector companies this summer.

Currently, tolls for metropolitan expressways range from 300 yen to 1,300 yen for standard-size cars using the electronic toll collection system.

The ministry and others are now working to estimate the traffic-curbing effects of an expressway toll surcharge, using data on past traffic on metropolitan expressways.

The authorities are also considering lowering late-night and early- morning tolls, in order to diffuse traffic flows. Jiji Press