Taiwan announces freeway traffic control measures for Dragon Boat Festival

Traffic control measures on the nation's freeways will be introduced during the three-day Dragon Boat Festival holiday to help minimize traffic congestion, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) said Tuesday.

The measures will be applied June 7-9 and tolls will be suspended between midnight and 5 a.m. during the period, transport officials said.

A unified rate of NT$0.9 (US$0.03) per kilometer will be adopted during the holiday period -- a 25 percent discount from the standard rate.

Motorists traveling between the Hsinchu and Yanchao interchanges on National Freeway No. 3 will receive an additional 20 percent off.

However, the standard toll-free first 20km of travel on all freeways will be suspended during the holiday, the ministry said.

In addition, between 7 a.m. and noon on June 7-8, only vehicles with three or more occupants will be allowed to use southbound lanes between Nangang (南港), Shiding (石碇) and Pinglin (坪林) onramps on No. 5 freeway.

Vehicle occupancy controls will also be in place from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. on June 8-9 between the northbound freeway onramps of Suao (蘇澳), Luodong (羅東), Yilan (宜蘭) and Toucheng (頭城).

For real-time traffic conditions, visit http://1968.freeway.gov.tw/?lang=en or download the mobile app available at http://1968.freeway.gov.tw/app.