Traffic surged on expressways nationwide March 28 as the two-year toll discount regime for weekends and holidays took effect thanks to government efforts to stimulate the economy.

Compared with a year ago, traffic was up 52 percent on the Tokai-Kanjo Expressway in Gifu Prefecture, 48 percent on the Joban Expressway in Fukushima Prefecture and 46 percent on the Tohoku Expressway on the Fukushima-Tochigi border as of 3 p.m. March 28, expressway operators said.

The stimulus discounts established a uniform toll of ¥1,000 for an unlimited distance on weekends and holidays for passenger cars and motorcycles equipped with electronic toll collection devices on expressways nationwide, except for the Tokyo and Osaka metropolitan areas, which are subject to separate tolls.