The toll discounts launched Friday on the Honshu-Shikoku Bridge Expressway and the Tokyo Bay Aqualine bridge-tunnel have succeeded in attracting more motorists, the highways' operators said Saturday.
Traffic on the Honshu-Shikoku Bridge Expressway surged 86 percent from the previous weekend, while traffic on the Tokyo Bay Aqualine bridge-tunnel jumped 24 percent, the operators said.
The toll discounts preceded those for other expressways across the nation, which will reduce their rates on weekends and holidays beginning March 28.
The usual toll on the Aqualine bridge is ¥2,320 for cars and ¥1,860 for mini-cars.
On most expressways, the maximum toll will be set at just ¥1,000, regardless of distance traveled. The discounts will apply only to vehicles equipped with the electronic toll-collection system.