Diet members, governors, mayors and local assembly members gathered Friday in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward to call for the reinstatement of the provisionally higher levies on gasoline and auto-related taxes that expired on March 31.
Fukuoka Gov. Wataru Aso, head of the National Governors' Association, stressed that local governments have had to redirect funds to the road budget and put a freeze on expenses to execute general policies.
"The local governments have now surely fallen into a state of confusion," Aso said. "If this situation continues, we'll be hard-pressed just to maintain and manage roads. We would not be able to create new roads or make progress on (roads) that are already under construction."