7月21日，交通運(yùn)輸部公布《收費(fèi)公路管理?xiàng)l例》修訂征求意見(jiàn)稿，目前正向社會(huì)公開(kāi)征求意見(jiàn)，截止日期為今年8月20日。
　　該意見(jiàn)稿中，最引人關(guān)注的點(diǎn)在于新稿調(diào)整了收費(fèi)的期限。根據(jù)意見(jiàn)稿，政府收費(fèi)公路中的高速公路將不再規(guī)定具體的收費(fèi)期限，而是實(shí)行統(tǒng)借統(tǒng)還，以實(shí)際償債期為準(zhǔn)，確定收費(fèi)期限。
　　至于特許經(jīng)營(yíng)高速公路，如果它滿(mǎn)足投資規(guī)模大，回報(bào)周期長(zhǎng)的特點(diǎn)，其經(jīng)營(yíng)期限可以約定超過(guò)30年，但不滿(mǎn)足上述條件則不能超過(guò)。
　　It's been reported that China will start charging highway tolls regularly for the long haul.
　　The news comes as the Ministry of Transport releases a newly revised draft of rules on highway tolls. In the coming weeks until August 20, authorities will be soliciting public opinions on the draft.
　　In one of the draft's highlights, the time limit for charging tolls placed by the government is removed. Instead, the highways could determine their own timeline according to their solvency on loans, a move that could make the charging periods longer.
　　Additionally, the operating periods for franchised highways with large-scale investments and long payback periods are allowed to be extended beyond 30 years.
　　現(xiàn)行條例如何規(guī)定？
　　What Are the Current Rules on Highway Tolls?
　　
　　現(xiàn)行條例規(guī)定，政府還貸公路最長(zhǎng)收費(fèi)期限，在中西部省市不得超過(guò)20年，其他省市則不得超過(guò)15年；經(jīng)營(yíng)性公路最長(zhǎng)收費(fèi)期限，在中西部省市不得超過(guò)30年，其他省市則不得超過(guò)25年。
　　According to the current regulations, the toll periods for highways run by the government are not to be longer than 20 years, while the franchised highways are not allowed to charge for more than 30 years.
　　高速公路為何擬長(zhǎng)期收費(fèi)？
　　Main Reason Behind Long-Term Toll
　　
　　專(zhuān)家表示，目前之所以高速公路要長(zhǎng)期收費(fèi)，很大的原因在于兩個(gè)字——虧損。高速公路建設(shè)成本不斷攀升，在規(guī)定期限內(nèi)無(wú)法按時(shí)償清貸款，因此高速公路處于虧損狀態(tài)。
　　據(jù)統(tǒng)計(jì)，2014年，全國(guó)收費(fèi)公路虧損1571.1億元，比2013年翻了約2.4倍。
　　One of the main reasons behind the change is that most highways in China are operating at a loss, while costs are rising and the operators cannot make loan payments on time.
　　According to statistics, total losses incurred by highways across China have reached 150 billion Yuan, or around 24 billion US dollars, in 2014.
　　網(wǎng)友反應(yīng)
　　Netizens' Reactions
　　
　　面對(duì)高速公路期限調(diào)整的消息，網(wǎng)友們反應(yīng)不一。有人認(rèn)為，長(zhǎng)期收費(fèi)有合理性，可以有效分流車(chē)流量，緩解交通壓力。而有人則認(rèn)為長(zhǎng)期收費(fèi)會(huì)讓高速公路變成“永久提款機(jī)”。
　　對(duì)此專(zhuān)家表示，高速公路不會(huì)成為永久提款機(jī)，因?yàn)榇蟛糠指咚俟诽幱诰揞~虧損，連還債都很困難，更不用說(shuō)“提款”了。
　　Some netizens think the change is reasonable, since it may help reduce traffic pressure on the highways, while others doubt that the highways may become 'permanent money withdrawal machines'.
　　Many experts have defended the draft, saying it's impossible for the highways to become 'money withdrawal machines', since many of them can't even clear their debts.
　　其他舉措
　　Other Measures
　　
　　目前，對(duì)收費(fèi)公路，民眾的期待與呼吁用六個(gè)字就可以概括：提速，降費(fèi)，透明。
　　為了滿(mǎn)足民眾的需求，意見(jiàn)稿規(guī)定，“收費(fèi)道口的設(shè)置和開(kāi)放應(yīng)符合車(chē)輛快速通行的需要”，同時(shí)要求“利用新技術(shù)推行不停車(chē)收費(fèi)，逐漸減少人工收費(fèi)方式”，提高通行效率。此外，意見(jiàn)稿還特別要求收費(fèi)公路的信息公開(kāi)，經(jīng)營(yíng)者要定期向社會(huì)公布年度通行費(fèi)、年度還本付息、養(yǎng)護(hù)、運(yùn)營(yíng)管理、稅費(fèi)等費(fèi)用支出等信息。
　　For a long time, many people have hoped China's highways will offer 'higher speed, lower tolls and more transparency', since the tolls are sometimes too high and the roads may become congested, especially on holidays, causing serious traffic jams.
　　According to the draft, new technologies may be applied to charge vehicles without stopping them, which can increase the efficiency of the highways.
　　Additionally, the operators of the turnpikes are required to release their annual expenses to the public, in an attempt to make the turnpikes' information transparent.
　　國(guó)外高速公路如何收費(fèi)？
　　Highways Charging Measures in Other Countries
　　美國(guó)
　　In the United States:
　　
　　美國(guó)高速公路極少收費(fèi)，收費(fèi)路段占全國(guó)高速公路的比例只有大約十分之一。
　　美國(guó)目前已建成的高速公路基本上靠政府稅收，在建設(shè)時(shí)，聯(lián)邦政府出資修建所花的費(fèi)用占總費(fèi)用的90%。而聯(lián)邦政府的資金由“聯(lián)邦公路信托基金”提供，其資金來(lái)源為機(jī)動(dòng)車(chē)的燃油稅，購(gòu)置稅和使用稅。
　　因?yàn)槁?lián)邦財(cái)政出資的緣故，高速公路被視作公共產(chǎn)品，理應(yīng)免費(fèi)。
　　In the United States, only 10 percent of the highways are toll-based.
　　Highways across the U.S. are mainly funded with government revenues.
　　The federal government provides 90 percent of the investments on building highways, and the funding comes from the Federal Highway Trust Fund, which is supported by vehicles' fuel taxes, purchase taxes and users' taxes.
　　Thus, highways in America are regarded as free public services.
　　德國(guó)
　　In Germany:
　　
　　根據(jù)法律規(guī)定，德國(guó)高速公路只對(duì)重量超過(guò)12噸（含掛車(chē)）的貨車(chē)收費(fèi)。德國(guó)人認(rèn)為，大貨車(chē)對(duì)公路的損害程度更大，而且排放更多，造成環(huán)境污染，所以理應(yīng)負(fù)擔(dān)公路維護(hù)和環(huán)保成本。
　　In Germany, only trucks and vans weighing over 12 tons are charged on highways.
　　It's believed that trucks could cause more serious damages on roads and discharge more waste, causing more pollution.
　　法國(guó)
　　In France:
　　
　　法國(guó)四分之三的高速公路都是特許經(jīng)營(yíng)公路，意味著要收取通行費(fèi)。過(guò)路費(fèi)的標(biāo)準(zhǔn)由公司和法國(guó)環(huán)境與可持續(xù)發(fā)展部下屬的基礎(chǔ)設(shè)施局協(xié)商而定。經(jīng)營(yíng)公司不得隨意漲價(jià)。
　　About 75 percent of the highways in France are permitted to operate as franchises, which means they could charge tolls.
　　The standard of tolls are negotiated between the highway's operators and the infrastructure bureau, under the environment and sustainable development authorities.
　　The operators are prohibited from randomly increasing the tolls.