The Seoul city government began to stop collecting toll fees at Namsan tunnels on Monday until May 16 to determine if the temporary pricing model for congested highways effectively alleviates traffic.

Under the temporary scheme, the city will waive fees for vehicles with less than three people traveling through tunnel numbers one and three from 7 a.m. until 9 p.m.

The decision comes as questions were raised over the effectiveness of the policy implemented in 1996, by which the city has been charging 2,000 won ($1.53) for both southbound and northbound traffic as part of an anti-congestion policy to ease traffic.

The city government will announce its findings in June and determine whether it will make changes to the toll system by the end of this year.