China's toll¹ roads reported losses of 318.73 billion yuan in 2015, more than double the loss made in 2014, due to a sharp rise in loan repayments², according to a Ministry³ of Transport annual report last Tuesday.

根据交通运输部上周二发布的年度公报显示，由于偿还债务的额度大幅上涨，2015年全国收费公路通行费收支缺口3187.3亿元，是2014年的两倍多。

Tollgates nationwide posted a total revenue of 410 billion yuan last year, higher than the 392 billion yuan registered in 2014.

去年，全国收费公路通行费收入为4100亿元，比2014年登记的多3920亿元。

However, any increase was dwarfed⁴ by expenditure⁵, which stood at 729 billion yuan, in contrast to 549 billion yuan the previous year.

但是，这和7290亿元的支出相比就相形见绌了。这一数字相比前一年增加了5490亿元。

Nearly 80% of expenditure last year went on loan repayments, while the remaining 20% was spent on road maintenance, management, upgrading facilities and taxes.

去年支出近八成用于偿还债务，其余两成用于公路养护管理、设施升级以及税费支出。

There were 1,588 tollgates in China last year, down from 1,665 in 2014. Total fee exemptions⁶ reached RMB54.46b, accounting⁷ for 13.3% of gross revenue in 2015. Operating expenditure dropped 1.2%.

全国收费站数量由2014年的1665个减至去年的1588个。2015年共减免车辆通行费544.6亿元，相当于通行费总收入的13.3%。收费公路运营管理支出减少1.2%。

Highways account for 71.2 percent of China's toll roads, which cover over 164,000 kilometers. Spending on toll roads has almost reached 7 trillion yuan, with a debt balance of 4.45 trillion yuan, said the report.

公报称，全国收费公路里程超过了16万公里，其中高速公路占到71.2%。收费公路投资总额接近7亿元，债务余额为45000亿元。

In order to narrow the capital gap, speed up improvements to road networks and provide a better service, the MOT published guidelines in May last year to encourage public-private-partnerships in toll road construction.

为了缩小收支缺口，加快道路网络的改进，提供更好的服务，交通运输部于去年五月份发布了指导方针，鼓励在收费公路建设中的公私合营。