江苏百闸免费“满月” 减负成效几何？

Core Viewpoint - The cancellation of toll fees for 101 ship locks in Jiangsu province, effective from May 1, significantly reduces operational costs for shipping companies and individual boatmen, enhancing the competitiveness of water transport in the region [1][4][12]. Group 1: Policy Impact - The cancellation of toll fees applies to 65.6% of the existing toll locks in Jiangsu, including 27 traffic locks, 73 water conservancy locks, and 1 agricultural lock [1]. - The policy has resulted in substantial savings for boatmen, with individual cases reporting monthly savings of several thousand yuan, leading to a more optimistic outlook for their operations [5][6]. - In the first month of the policy, the new locks saved a total of 472.58 million yuan for 6076 individual boats, demonstrating the immediate financial benefits of the toll cancellation [5]. Group 2: Operational Efficiency - The removal of toll fees has led to a significant increase in the volume of traffic through certain locks, with some reporting over 200% year-on-year growth in boat traffic [9]. - To manage the increased demand, Jiangsu is implementing smart navigation and control systems, including a centralized control center for locks and a new app for real-time navigation assistance [10][9]. - The average waiting time at the Suzhou Yushan lock has been significantly reduced despite a 33% increase in traffic, showcasing the effectiveness of operational optimizations [9]. Group 3: Economic Benefits - The Jiangsu waterway system, with a total length of 2616 kilometers, is crucial for the province's logistics, with an expected cargo volume of 740 million tons in 2024 [13]. - The cancellation of fees is expected to enhance the competitiveness of water transport, attracting more vessels to utilize Jiangsu's waterways and accelerating the integration of the provincial waterway network [12][14]. - Companies like Huai Steel have reported a decrease in transportation costs by 1.08 yuan per ton, translating to annual savings of approximately 2.7 million yuan, which is 2% of their annual water transport costs [6][12].