After years of preparation, the Lower Manhattan and Midtown areas of New York City will start collecting congestion fees from the 5th, becoming the first area in the USA to implement such fees. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority of New York announced on the 5th that the congestion fee collection method will be implemented starting today, with vehicles entering the congestion mitigation zone south of 60th Street in Manhattan being charged the fee. According to the collection plan, vehicles only need to pay the congestion fee once upon entering the congestion mitigation zone each day, allowing multiple entries and exits within that area. The payment amount depends on whether the vehicle is entering during peak traffic hours, the type of vehicle, and the method of payment. For New York City taxis and Online Car-hailing vehicles entering, exiting, crossing, or driving within the congestion mitigation zone, passengers will pay a lower congestion fee. The New York State Legislature proposed the congestion fee plan in 2017, and it was approved for implementation in 2019. The plan received federal government approval in July 2023 and was originally scheduled to be implemented by the end of June 2024. After halting the plan, New York Governor Kathy Hochul introduced an adjusted congestion fee implementation plan in November 2024. (Xinhua News Agency)