China sets highway toll-free dates during Spring Festival

 　　BEIJING, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- Chinese drivers rushing home for family reunions during the upcoming Spring Festival will find it a pleasant journey this year as the country's highways will operate toll¹-free during the holiday.

　　The Ministry² of Transport announced on Friday that the country's highways will be toll-free for passenger cars from 0:00 on Feb. 9 to 24:00 on Feb. 15 when most Chinese will go home for the Spring Festival and return to work.

　　He Jianzhong, a spokesman for the Ministry, said passenger cars with seven seats or less and motorcycles will get a free pass through toll roads, bridges and tunnels during the Spring Festival holiday.

　　Drivers will not be asked to stop at toll gates to get electronic tickets this time, according to He.

　　The electronic tickets, which were required in the first three days during the National Day holiday in 2012, were blamed by many for partly causing traffic conjestions at that time.

　　China's State Council, or the Cabinet, approved a program last August to lift road tolls³ for passenger cars taking highways during major Chinese holidays.

　　The upcoming Spring Festival, the most important Chinese traditional festival of family reunions that falls on Feb. 10 this year, will be the second time of toll-free policy implementation⁴ after the National Day holiday 2012.

1 toll   

n.过路(桥)费；损失，伤亡人数；v.敲(钟)

参考例句：

• The hailstone took a heavy toll of the crops in our village last night.昨晚那场冰雹损坏了我们村的庄稼。
• The war took a heavy toll of human life.这次战争夺去了许多人的生命。

2 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

3 tolls   

（缓慢而有规律的）钟声( toll的名词复数 )； 通行费； 损耗； （战争、灾难等造成的）毁坏

参考例句：

• A man collected tolls at the gateway. 一个人在大门口收通行费。
• The long-distance call tolls amount to quite a sum. 长途电话费数目相当可观。

4 implementation   

n.实施，贯彻

参考例句：

• Implementation of the program is now well underway.这一项目的实施现在行情看好。