1.4 billion Chinese can not afford high speed? 8 years lost 6 trillion, the United States high speed free but profitable. U.S. high speed at any rate, no charges, in the end can still profit, but China high speed to charge, instead also indebted, 8 years is enough to lose 6 trillion.
Main source: People's Network - Lightning Daily: Why the existence of "loss" on highways is questioned
In the early winter, in the service district of the high-speed shopping mall in Hong Kong, the truck waiting for payment ranks up in the middle of the night as the headless long dragon.
The driver shrugged the window, lit a cigarette, and the breathing white air dissipated rapidly in the cold wind.
The winding car lights in the distance were like a flowing galaxy. This was the fifth time he had run this route this month.
Every time he stands in line at the toll booth, he always remembers what his cousin, who drives a truck in America, said:
"There's no toll on the expressway."
These words are like a thorn in Lao Wang's heart.
But when he really delved into the differences between the highways of the two countries, he realized that things were far from as simple as they seemed.
It's true that tollbooths are rarely seen on American highways, but that doesn't mean it's really free.
On closer inspection, the annual fuel tax paid by American drivers is equivalent to about 3000 yuan, which is directly used for road construction and maintenance.
In other words, high-speed in the U.S. is just a substitute for a form of charging, and this "invisible charge" makes daily travellers pay invisibly for long-distance freight.
In contrast to China, the number of people with driving licenses out of 1.4 billion people exceeds 500 million, and the huge traffic of vehicles brings astonishing road losses.
Taking the high-speed of Kyoto as an example, it costs up to $3.6 billion per kilometer, which is several times that of the United States.
This does not include daily maintenance expenses – by 2020 alone, the maintenance expenditure on national highways will exceed 100 billion yuan.
More crucial is the difference in geographical conditions, the U.S. Central and Western Great Plains are relatively easy to repair, while the high-speed mountainous areas in the southwestern region of China often need to open tunnels, build high bridges, and the cost of natural boating is high.
The bridge tunnel ratio is up to 82% for projects such as the Yakon Highway, and the cost per kilometer is overwhelming.
The sources of funding are also different.
The United States relies on the Federal Highway Trust Fund, while China relies mainly on bank loans.
This determines that China Expressway must pay off its debts through fees.
The data shows that the total debt of China's expressways has reached 7 trillion yuan, which is equivalent to about 5,000 yuan shared by each Chinese.
But if we look from a different perspective, the benefits of highways far outweigh the accounting numbers.
Because a remote mountain village in Yunnan is connected to a highway, mushrooms grown by villagers can arrive in Shanghai within 12 hours, and the price has tripled;
Fruits in mountainous areas of Sichuan are transported through cold chain and can be put on the shelves of supermarkets in Beijing in 48 hours.
These changes are difficult to measure in money.
The highway is like a nation’s blood vessel, delivering nutrients to every corner.
Even with losses, the state continues to invest, because its social benefits far outweigh the economic account.
The policy of free passage during holidays is a concrete manifestation of benefiting the people.
In the future, with the popularization of electronic toll collection systems and the implementation of differentiated toll collection, the operating efficiency of China's highways is expected to improve.
Maybe one day, when the debt is gradually paid off, the charging mode will be more flexible and diverse.
But before that, every toll paid was actually contributing to the country's infrastructure construction.
As night fell, Lao Wang's truck slowly passed through the toll station.
He handed the pass card, and the fee of 285 yuan jumped out on the display screen.
He stopped complaining this time, because he understood that this money not only maintained roads, but also supported the livelihood of thousands of freight drivers like him in Qian Qian, and connected the road of hope between remote mountain villages and bustling cities.
Looking at the light-lighted service area in the distance, the old king recalled how the speed of the car that just arrived shortened the rescue time when disaster supplies were shipped to the mountains last week.
Per that is why the loss is known, and the country still needs to continue to build highways.
With the promotion of smart charging technology, the operational efficiency of China’s highways is increasing.
The popularity of ETC system has doubled the speed of vehicle traffic, and the application of new technologies such as non-inductive payment is also reducing operating costs.
In the future, with the popularity of new energy vehicles, new models of high-speed charging based on electricity charges may appear.
These innovations are exploring new possibilities for the sustainable development of highways.
Lao Wang started the truck and drove back into the highway in the night.
He knows that this road carries not only goods, but also a mobile China.
Behind every pass fee is an investment in the construction of national infrastructure and a guarantee for a better life for thousands of households.
This may be the fundamental reason why we still need to build and develop highways despite knowing the losses.
Trouble readers to tap the upper right corner of the "attention", leave your wonderful comment with everyone to explore, thank you for your strong support!
Main source: People's Network - Lightning Daily: Why the existence of "loss" on highways is questioned
In the early winter, in the service district of the high-speed shopping mall in Hong Kong, the truck waiting for payment ranks up in the middle of the night as the headless long dragon.
The driver shrugged the window, lit a cigarette, and the breathing white air dissipated rapidly in the cold wind.
The winding car lights in the distance were like a flowing galaxy. This was the fifth time he had run this route this month.
Every time he stands in line at the toll booth, he always remembers what his cousin, who drives a truck in America, said:
"There's no toll on the expressway."
These words are like a thorn in Lao Wang's heart.
But when he really delved into the differences between the highways of the two countries, he realized that things were far from as simple as they seemed.
It's true that tollbooths are rarely seen on American highways, but that doesn't mean it's really free.
On closer inspection, the annual fuel tax paid by American drivers is equivalent to about 3000 yuan, which is directly used for road construction and maintenance.
In other words, high-speed in the U.S. is just a substitute for a form of charging, and this "invisible charge" makes daily travellers pay invisibly for long-distance freight.
In contrast to China, the number of people with driving licenses out of 1.4 billion people exceeds 500 million, and the huge traffic of vehicles brings astonishing road losses.
Taking the high-speed of Kyoto as an example, it costs up to $3.6 billion per kilometer, which is several times that of the United States.
This does not include daily maintenance expenses – by 2020 alone, the maintenance expenditure on national highways will exceed 100 billion yuan.
More crucial is the difference in geographical conditions, the U.S. Central and Western Great Plains are relatively easy to repair, while the high-speed mountainous areas in the southwestern region of China often need to open tunnels, build high bridges, and the cost of natural boating is high.
The bridge tunnel ratio is up to 82% for projects such as the Yakon Highway, and the cost per kilometer is overwhelming.
The sources of funding are also different.
The United States relies on the Federal Highway Trust Fund, while China relies mainly on bank loans.
This determines that China Expressway must pay off its debts through fees.
The data shows that the total debt of China's expressways has reached 7 trillion yuan, which is equivalent to about 5,000 yuan shared by each Chinese.
But if we look from a different perspective, the benefits of highways far outweigh the accounting numbers.
Because a remote mountain village in Yunnan is connected to a highway, mushrooms grown by villagers can arrive in Shanghai within 12 hours, and the price has tripled;
Fruits in mountainous areas of Sichuan are transported through cold chain and can be put on the shelves of supermarkets in Beijing in 48 hours.
These changes are difficult to measure in money.
The highway is like a nation’s blood vessel, delivering nutrients to every corner.
Even with losses, the state continues to invest, because its social benefits far outweigh the economic account.
The policy of free passage during holidays is a concrete manifestation of benefiting the people.
In the future, with the popularization of electronic toll collection systems and the implementation of differentiated toll collection, the operating efficiency of China's highways is expected to improve.
Maybe one day, when the debt is gradually paid off, the charging mode will be more flexible and diverse.
But before that, every toll paid was actually contributing to the country's infrastructure construction.
As night fell, Lao Wang's truck slowly passed through the toll station.
He handed the pass card, and the fee of 285 yuan jumped out on the display screen.
He stopped complaining this time, because he understood that this money not only maintained roads, but also supported the livelihood of thousands of freight drivers like him in Qian Qian, and connected the road of hope between remote mountain villages and bustling cities.
Looking at the light-lighted service area in the distance, the old king recalled how the speed of the car that just arrived shortened the rescue time when disaster supplies were shipped to the mountains last week.
Per that is why the loss is known, and the country still needs to continue to build highways.
With the promotion of smart charging technology, the operational efficiency of China’s highways is increasing.
The popularity of ETC system has doubled the speed of vehicle traffic, and the application of new technologies such as non-inductive payment is also reducing operating costs.
In the future, with the popularity of new energy vehicles, new models of high-speed charging based on electricity charges may appear.
These innovations are exploring new possibilities for the sustainable development of highways.
Lao Wang started the truck and drove back into the highway in the night.
He knows that this road carries not only goods, but also a mobile China.
Behind every pass fee is an investment in the construction of national infrastructure and a guarantee for a better life for thousands of households.
This may be the fundamental reason why we still need to build and develop highways despite knowing the losses.
Trouble readers to tap the upper right corner of the "attention", leave your wonderful comment with everyone to explore, thank you for your strong support!