SHENZHEN will purchase the operation rights of four expressways and eliminate road tolls, the Southern Metropolis Daily reported yesterday.

    According to a city financial report reviewed by the standing committee of the municipal people’s congress (MPC) on Tuesday, the city government will purchase Nanguang, Longda, Yanpai and Yanba expressways from highway corporations, which have the rights to charge tolls on road users under build-operate-transfer contracts with the government.

    The changes are expected to increase road speeds and lower transport costs, which will affect the growing number of Shenzheners who have been priced-out of living in the city center to make homes in the suburbs.

    “As the city’s suburbs have developed into urban residential areas, there is a conflict between transport and urban development,” said Tang Shukui, the director of the city’s finance commission.

    The commission Tuesday presented to lawmakers budget adjustments totaling 40.4 billion yuan (US$6.34 billion), of which 34 billion yuan will be used to for seven major projects including the expressway-purchasing project.

    Tang said funding for adjusted budget expenditure will include 20 billion yuan originally set aside for the shortfall of social security contributions for public servants and employees of State institutions, 14 billion yuan originally earmarked for government investments and 6.4 billion yuan from sales of Qianhai land lots.

    Yanpai Expressway in the city’s eastern harbor areas charges each container truck 33 yuan for the whole journey, while the toll fees of Longda Expressway have long been criticized by residents and MPC representatives.

    Nanguang Expressway located in west Shenzhen is the main thoroughfare connecting Hong Kong and other cities in the Pearl River Delta region. With seven toll booths, the expressway charges each passing vehicle 0.6 yuan per kilometer.

    The government will also spend 4.1 billion yuan repurchasing government-subsidized housing in six residential areas constructed by the Pingshan New Area’s management committee, according to the report.

    A total of 700 million yuan will be paid to the Gas Group for replacing 717 kilometers of the city’s aging gas pipelines. The rest of the budget will be spent on other projects, including sea reclamation near the airport and grain reserve.  (Zhang Yang)