Nearly 200 cars waited at the entrance of the Jingha highway in Beijing on Wednesday night in the mistaken belief they had to wait until midnight to make the most of a week-long toll-free period over the National Day break, the Legal Evening News reports.
Some of the motorists waited more than two hours, not knowing that tolls are determined at the end of a journey and not the beginning. The drivers would not be charged as long as they completed – rather than started – their trip after the toll-free period began at midnight.
Several drivers insisted on waiting even after they were informed of the rule.
Several highways in Jiangsu province were immediately congested after midnight, Jiangsu Television reported.
At one Ninghu highway toll gate, dozens of cars queued up, waiting for free use of the roads.