No Toll Fee Waiver on Highways During Chuseok... Revenue to Be Used for COVID-19 Prevention Measures

On the last day of the holiday weekend, vehicles returning home are moving toward the tollgate at the Seoul Tollgate in Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi Province. /Seongnam=Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Chunhee Lee] To prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), highway tolls will not be waived during this year's Chuseok holiday. The Korea Expressway Corporation plans to allocate toll revenue to COVID-19 prevention efforts.

The Korea Expressway Corporation announced on the 24th that highway tolls will be collected as usual during the Chuseok holiday period from the 30th of this month to the 2nd of next month. Highway users during the Chuseok holiday can use the highways in the same way as usual. The amount waived for tolls during holiday periods is known to be around 50 billion KRW each holiday.

This decision is part of the COVID-19 prevention measures announced by the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters on the 16th. The government has designated the period from the 30th of this month to the 4th of next month, including the Chuseok holiday, as a "special quarantine period," strengthening prevention measures such as recommending refraining from visiting hometowns during the holiday.

Accordingly, the Expressway Corporation plans to implement intensive quarantine measures during the Chuseok holiday, including support for quarantine personnel and supplies at highway rest areas, quarantine support at service areas, and improvements to infection prevention facilities.

In particular, indoor seating at rest area stores will be prohibited from the 29th of this month to the 4th of next month. Only take-out products will be sold, and guides will be stationed at rest area entrances to conduct temperature checks and manage visitors. To reduce the time required for visitor log entries, a "simple phone check-in" system will be introduced, allowing visitors to call a virtual phone number assigned to each rest area, replacing entry records with call logs, thereby enhancing customer convenience.

A representative of the Expressway Corporation explained, "The toll collection during this holiday is an unavoidable government measure aimed at minimizing interregional movement and suppressing unnecessary travel, not for the purpose of increasing the corporation's revenue." He added, "We will make the best use of the toll revenue collected during the holiday for quarantine activities, and any surplus revenue will be donated for public benefit, fulfilling the responsibilities of a public enterprise to prevent the spread of COVID-19."