If you follow me, you already know that most railways in Japan are privatized. What you may not know is that their highways are too.
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Replying to @380kmh
Specifically, the expressway network--analogous to our Interstate system. Operations were privatized in 2005.
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Replying to @380kmh
Construction on them started in 1957, under government ownership, funded by public debt. As in the USA, the intent was to make them free...
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Replying to @380kmh
...to use after the debt was paid off. But although the two busiest expressways paid their debt by 1990, it became clear that the rest...
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Replying to @380kmh
...would need a steady source of revenue to keep up with maintenance, earthquake recovery, soundproofing improvements, etc.
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Replying to @380kmh
Also, to ensure that low-use expressways that couldn't pay their debt themselves would be able to survive.
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Replying to @380kmh
Consequently, the government decided to keep tolls on all expressways after 1972. This made it easy to privatize them in 2005, since...
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...tolls were not suddenly being added to previously free roads. They function just like the railways in that they use distance-based tolls.
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Replying to @380kmh
This keeps revenue roughly in line with wear and tear, and ensures that only people who use the highways pay for them.
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