Please note that this event has been postponed due to the Director General's last minute schedule conflict. We apologize for the inconvenience caused.

ECCT Better Living & Automotive Committees joint Committee Lunch

The New Toll System for Taiwan's National Freeways

Guest speaker
Dr Tseng Da-ren, Director General, National Freeway Bureau
Ministry of Transportation and Communications 曾大仁,高速公路局長兼國道新建工程局長

The Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MoTC) will be introducing a new "pay as you go" freeway toll system in Taiwan and is currently in the process of evaluating various options for new freeway toll fee rates. The objective of the new system is distribute costs fairly rather than to raise total revenue for the Freeway Construction Fund, which was NT$22 billion last year. The rationale for change is that the current system unfairly overcharges some users while others do not pay. Under the current system, freeway drivers pay a fee whenever they drive through toll booths, yet some freeway users never have to drive through a toll booth and hence never pay any fees. The new "pay as you go" policy would introduce a new electronic system that would require all freeway users to pay a toll based on the distance traveled, thus establishing a fair, user-paid freeway system. The new system will have a significant impact on ECCT members, particularly those in the retail and logistics industries. All companies that need to transport goods in Taiwan will need to review their current routes in order to optimise efficiency in terms of costs and delivery times before the new system comes into effect. This event will give members the rare opportunity to gain clarity on all aspects of the new system so that they can make the necessary preparations in advance.

Currently, three possible rate options are being considered: The first would charge cars NT$0.82 per kilometer travelled. The second would give each driver a toll-free distance of 10km per day and charge NT$1 for each kilometer thereafter. The third would increase the daily toll-free distance to 20km, but also push the rate up to NT$1.20 per kilometer for distances between 20km and 200km and cut it to NT$0.90 for each kilometre over 200km. Our guest speaker will give a complete explanation of the new system including:
‧    The functioning and mechanics of the new electronic freeway toll system
‧    Which roads will be included in the system and which will be excluded
‧    An update of new and planned freeway upgrade projects in Taiwan to ease congestion.

About the speaker
Dr Tseng Dai-ren has been the Director General of the Freeway Administration under the Ministry of Transportation and Communications since February 2010. Since entering the Freeway Construction Bureau in 1990, Dr Tseng has participated in numerous public construction projects involving geotechnical investigation, design, engineering contract implementation, and international consultancy service for public procurement projects. During his tenure at the FCB, the most significant engineering work under his leadership was the construction of the Snow Mountain tunnel, which led to the direct linking of Taipei and Ilan ahead of schedule. The project employed innovative technology to prevent accidents. Dr Tseng holds a degree in civil engineering from National Taiwan University and a doctorate in civil engineering from Berkeley University.