ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Toll roads around the world

Okay buddy, have you ever seen a road with a sign that says "Toll Road" on it? It means that you have to pay some money to be able to drive on that road. Yes, just like how you pay some money to play with your toys or buy candy from the store.

Now, why do some roads have tolls? Well, building and maintaining a road costs a lot of money. In some countries, the government pays for it with taxes, but in other countries, they charge drivers to use the road. That way, the people who use the road the most will pay more money for it.

Toll roads can be found around the world, from the United States to China. Some toll roads charge a fixed fee, like $5.00 or $10.00, no matter how far you drive. Others charge you based on how much distance you cover, so if you drive farther you will pay more.

It's important to know that toll roads can be faster than other roads because they have fewer cars on them. That's because not every person wants to pay the toll. But, if you really need to get somewhere quickly, maybe you will decide it's worth it to pay the toll.

In some countries, like France, they have a lot of toll roads that work together to form a network of highways. They are called "autoroutes" and they charge drivers at different points along the way that can be as high as 50 euros in some cases. In other countries, like India, toll roads are less common and some people think they are too expensive.

So, there you have it, a toll road is a road that charges you money to use it. It's a way to pay for building and maintaining the road and they can be found in many countries around the world.