The Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Transport recently issued the Circular on Support for Guiding the Digital Transformation and Upgrading of Highway and Waterway Transportation Infrastructure (hereinafter referred to as the Circular), deciding to support guiding the digital transformation and upgrading of highway and waterway transportation infrastructure through competitive evaluation.

　　 According to the Circular, starting from 2024, through about three years, it will support about 30 demonstration regions, create a number of line-network integrated demonstration corridors and networks, and strive to promote the digital transformation and upgrading of about 85% of busy national highways, 25% of busy ordinary national highways, and 70% of important national high-grade waterways.

　　 In terms of the specific implementation objectives, the demonstration channels will achieve a 20% increase in passage efficiency in terms of wisdom expansion; achieve a 30% increase in emergency response efficiency for emergencies in terms of safety and efficiency enhancement; condense and summarize a batch of vehicle-road cloud and ship-shore cloud application scenarios and key technologies and standard specifications with high promotion value in terms of integration and innovation; and foster a batch of new industries such as personalized customization, networking, synergy and industrialization integration in terms of innovation of institutions and mechanisms. In terms of institutional mechanism innovation, it promotes the cultivation of a number of new modes of personalized customization, network collaboration and industrialization integration.

　　 In terms of the scope of support, the Notice specifies that it focuses on supporting the main skeleton of the national comprehensive three-dimensional transportation network "6 axes, 7 corridors and 8 channels" as well as the national highways and national high-grade waterways within the scope of the national regional major strategies to carry out digital transformation and upgrading.

　　 The Notice also requires to accelerate the digital transformation of highway and waterway transportation infrastructure, build digital perception network, intelligent management and control system and networked service system, change the traditional infrastructure model, pay more attention to the intensive and economical use of less resource consumption prying the carrying capacity of the transportation infrastructure to significantly improve; pay more attention to the efficiency of the use of funds, with less capital investment to drive the quality of the transportation infrastructure to provide effective and strengthened; pay more attention to the release of the value of data elements. Strengthening; pay more attention to the release of the value of data elements, digital means to promote the management of transportation infrastructure service level significantly improved; pay more attention to the integration of innovation, application scenarios to scale landing to promote the level of industrial collaboration and innovation significantly improved.

　　 Regarding the allocation of funds, the Ministry of Finance will arrange funds in accordance with the "combination of award and subsidy" method. Among them, the highway, waterway area subsidy funds were approved, in accordance with the Ministry of Transportation approved a certain percentage of the total investment to be subsidized, the eastern, central and western regions, respectively, the proportion of subsidies for 40%, 50%, 60%. The first year of implementation in accordance with each demonstration area of 40% of the award funds to be subsidized for the start of the relevant work; follow-up according to the results of performance evaluation to be rewarded.

　　 It should be noted that the award funds shall not be used for land acquisition, demolition and relocation, the construction of buildings and halls, as well as not in line with the direction of the construction of digital transformation support, etc.. If supported through other channels of the central financial authorities, the award and subsidy funds will not be repeated.