Prime Minister Taro Aso¡¯s economic stimulus measures are about to unleash the nation¡¯s worst highway traffic jams, toll operators and police say.
Aso¡¯s ?5 trillion spending program announced in October included discounted expressway charges on holidays. As workers prepare for Wednesday¡¯s start of Golden Week, police expect more than 70 million people to travel within the country, creating traffic jams of 60 km or more.
¡°If there weren¡¯t the discount, I wouldn¡¯t be traveling to Aomori,¡± said Takeyuki Nagasawa, 32, who aims to drive 600 km to the prefecture. ¡°I was thinking of going somewhere else, but when I worked out the budget, I found a one-way ticket by train or plane would equal the full cost of the Aomori trip.¡±
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