Highway toll fees will be made more affordable nationwide, as the Ministry of Transport will gradually introduce a stable and cheap charging system, a senior official said on Tuesday.
Vice-Minister of Transport Weng Mengyong made the remarks at a news conference about the recent high-profile case in Central China's Henan province, in which a farmer received a life sentence for toll evasion.
Shi Jianfeng, a farmer in Henan, was convicted of evading tolls totaling 3.68 million yuan ($550,000), according to the Pingdingshan Intermediate People's Court verdict on Dec 21, 2010.
The harsh sentence sparked a storm of online criticism, as many netizens have decried the exorbitant road fees and pointed out Shi's income was far less than the toll fees.
Weng said the new policies will be made public and transparent. The ministry will streamline and specify toll-road regulations at the local and central government levels, he said, without providing details.