Japan invents the faux freeway — traffic increases 52%
Sheeeee-it. Just as you can see in the photo below, I just got back from hellacious 40-hour drive from Shikoku Island that normally takes 11 hours “thanks” to the new Japanese economic stimulus measure of a 1,000 yen flat road toll for the weekends. …restofthestory…
Expressway toll discounts begin, traffic increases 52%
Kyodo – Mar. 28 OSAKA, Japan
….crowded March 28 on the day that toll discounts on weekends and national holidays were introduced as part of stimulus measures to buoy Japan’s sluggish economy.
...restofthestory... All expressways in Japan are tollroads and in the case of the 11-hours drive from Tokyo to Shikoku the regular toll is 12,000 yen ($120 USD). The new 1,000 yen flat road toll for any drive during the weekend sounded like a bargain. The “1,000 yen flat” resulted gridlock across the nation. Now thanks to the economic stimulus measure I never plan to take any weekend trips by car, sheesh.
- 
March 30th, 2009 at 5:54 pm
Wait… You actually plan to spend 11h on the road ?… Driving ?
The country is a craphole but they still have a pretty kick ass train system… Maybe not as fast as the french one. But at least no teens to throw fridges on the track from overhead bridges (I wish I was making that sh1t up….).