joshnii 2 Posted January 20, 2011 Share Posted January 20, 2011 OK I'm getting my head to explode trying to understand some of the ETC discounts on expressway charges. There seems to be a weekday daytime one of 30%, 6am-8pm There also seems to be a "commuting time" one of 50%, 6am-9am What's the deal with those two? If I start at, say 6:30am, which do I get? And if I start at 5:30am but come out of the gates within those times, which do I get? I'm sure the answer is very simple, but it is eluding me! Sankyu Link to post Share on other sites
bobby12 0 Posted January 20, 2011 Share Posted January 20, 2011 Think it depends on the specific road etc. Not worth thinking about really unless you are doing a really long journey. Link to post Share on other sites
Chriselle 158 Posted January 20, 2011 Share Posted January 20, 2011 Originally Posted By: bobby12 Think it depends on the specific road etc. Not worth thinking about really unless you are doing a really long journey. I've kinda given up trying to sync up my travel times with the ETC discounts. From Ito I end up taking all kinds of payment roads to get anywhere. Half the time I don't even bother looking at the toll amounts as I drive through but there are times when I do and have been pleasantly surprised with a discount. I'm sure it does add up if you were diligent to knowing the ins and outs of the system. Let us know what you find Joshnii. Link to post Share on other sites
loaf of bread 0 Posted January 20, 2011 Share Posted January 20, 2011 It is VERY confusing. The policy is probably to get people to give up as above. And it works! Link to post Share on other sites
muikabochi 208 Posted January 20, 2011 Share Posted January 20, 2011 Watch out for the up to 100km rule for some discounts too. Link to post Share on other sites
NoFakie 45 Posted January 20, 2011 Share Posted January 20, 2011 The commuting one of 50% is for up to a 100km section. If you were on a longer journey, you used to have to leave the highway to get it. After seeing lots of folks do U turns at toll booths, they now give you the discount automatically so you don't have to leave the highway. On a 5000 yen journey, it works out at 800 to 1000 yen off If you have two cards you can still get the discount twice by leaving the highway midway. Link to post Share on other sites
Thundercat 60 Posted January 20, 2011 Share Posted January 20, 2011 Weekdays: 12am-4am 50% 4am - 24pm 30% Plus the 100km commuter thing during the times mentioned above. If you get on the highway at say 10:30pm and get off at 12:01am you'll get the 50% discount. If you get on at 3:59am and get off at 8am you'll get the 50% discount. Weekends are 1000Y any distance except for around Tokyo and Osaka (and a few minor acceptions like the Seto-Ohashi in Shikoku, etc) Weekends start at 12:01am Saturday morning. So if you get on the highway Friday and drive until 12:01am Saturday morning you only need to pay 1000Y. There is a website that calculates the ETC charges from exit to exit but I can't remember for the life of me what it is... sorry... Link to post Share on other sites
Chriselle 158 Posted January 20, 2011 Share Posted January 20, 2011 Originally Posted By: Black Mountain Weekdays: 12am-4am 50% 4am - 24pm 30% Plus the 100km commuter thing during the times mentioned above. If you get on the highway at say 10:30pm and get off at 12:01am you'll get the 50% discount. If you get on at 3:59am and get off at 8am you'll get the 50% discount. Weekends are 1000Y any distance except for around Tokyo and Osaka (and a few minor acceptions like the Seto-Ohashi in Shikoku, etc) Weekends start at 12:01am Saturday morning. So if you get on the highway Friday and drive until 12:01am Saturday morning you only need to pay 1000Y. There is a website that calculates the ETC charges from exit to exit but I can't remember for the life of me what it is... sorry... Thanks BM... Link to post Share on other sites
pie-eater 207 Posted January 20, 2011 Share Posted January 20, 2011 Blimey it does sound confusing. Link to post Share on other sites
Thundercat 60 Posted January 20, 2011 Share Posted January 20, 2011 Here is the website I was thinking of... http://www.tokutoku-etc.jp/ The time explanations are on the left and the entrance to exit toll calculator is on the right. The calculations are only for the regular toll price and then you have to figure out the discount according to when you are driving. Link to post Share on other sites
best skier in hakuba 5 Posted January 21, 2011 Share Posted January 21, 2011 I bet there's a Badge Test you can take for understanding all that lot! Link to post Share on other sites
joshnii 2 Posted January 22, 2011 Author Share Posted January 22, 2011 Thanks for all that folks. I'll let you know how it goes, if I understand it when it happens! Link to post Share on other sites
Metabo Oyaji 71 Posted January 24, 2011 Share Posted January 24, 2011 Should all be a lot easier to understand after April 1st, yes? 1000 yen max on weekends & holidays, 2000 yen max on weekdays. Link to post Share on other sites
muikabochi 208 Posted January 24, 2011 Share Posted January 24, 2011 Really MO, I didn't know they were going ahead with that idea.... Link to post Share on other sites
Chriselle 158 Posted January 24, 2011 Share Posted January 24, 2011 Originally Posted By: Metabo Oyaji Should all be a lot easier to understand after April 1st, yes? 1000 yen max on weekends & holidays, 2000 yen max on weekdays. Didn't hear about that either. It should be interesting to see how traffic volumes change. Link to post Share on other sites
klingon 10 Posted January 24, 2011 Share Posted January 24, 2011 You sure about that Metabo? I thought that idea had been indefinitely delayed.. Link to post Share on other sites
Thundercat 60 Posted January 24, 2011 Share Posted January 24, 2011 Originally Posted By: Chriselle Didn't hear about that either. It should be interesting to see how traffic volumes change. One thing I noticed once they reduced the charge to 1000Y on weekends is that the volume on smaller highways and rural roads around my area was greatly reduced. That being said, I also started to notice a lot of out of town number plates down in Izu that I hadn't seen before! The traffic also seemed to get a lot worse there too! Link to post Share on other sites
igloo 3 Posted January 24, 2011 Share Posted January 24, 2011 So is this actually happening from 1st April? Link to post Share on other sites
Metabo Oyaji 71 Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 As far as I understand, that is the plan... See the following press release dated Dec. 24, 2010 on the å›½åœŸäº¤é€šçœ website: http://www.mlit.go.jp/common/000132478.pdf This press release is also quoted in its entirety in another press release dated Jan. 20, 2011, so seems to still be current policy. There seem to be some details yet to be worked out, most contentiously regarding the Honshu-Shikoku connector, and in politics I guess one should never count one's pennies until the check clears. Keep watching this space: http://www.mlit.go.jp/road/ Or watch the evening news, which will probably go over this all thoroughly once the details have been hammered out. (Note: I got permission from SJ to include links.) Fingers crossed... And hoping nobody has heard anything definitive otherwise! Link to post Share on other sites
grungy-gonads 54 Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 Can't see that pdf file for whatever reason. Will there still be discounts "under" the 1000 yen and 2000 yen limits like there is now? Link to post Share on other sites
frannyo 2 Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 Hope so, that would be good. Link to post Share on other sites
Metabo Oyaji 71 Posted January 26, 2011 Share Posted January 26, 2011 Originally Posted By: grungy-gonads Can't see that pdf file for whatever reason. Will there still be discounts "under" the 1000 yen and 2000 yen limits like there is now? Not mentioned. Perhaps they will continue by default? (Which, if so, would be good news for those already invested in studying for their badge tests.) Link to post Share on other sites
pie-eater 207 Posted January 26, 2011 Share Posted January 26, 2011 Would be good. Strange we haven't heard more of this if it is from 1st April. Link to post Share on other sites
Tubby Beaver 209 Posted January 27, 2011 Share Posted January 27, 2011 Originally Posted By: pie-eater Would be good. Strange we haven't heard more of this if it is from 1st April. Biggest hoax ever Link to post Share on other sites
muikabochi 208 Posted January 27, 2011 Share Posted January 27, 2011 Link to post Share on other sites
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