Automated toll collection

The vehicles pass through the Phap Van ETC station to enter the Phap Van - Cau Gie expressway. (Photo: QUANG PHUC) At the Ho Chi Minh – Long Thanh – Dau Giay expressway, the traffic situation was reportedly improved on the morning of August 7 over the end of July and the beginning of August. The number of automobiles tagging ETC cards reached 99.24 percent at the Long Thanh toll collection station in Dong Nai Province. However, the congestion also happened when hundreds of trucks and automobiles got in line to pass through toll collection at National Highway No.51. At the toll collection stations on Hanoi Highway and Phu My Bridge in Thu Duc City, the traffic situation are also stable without acute congestion; however, some vehicles were recharged fee even though they did not travel through the stations. In the Northern region, the transport situation at the toll stations was stable. Compared to the first days of the ETC implementation, there currently are around 10 to 15 … [Read more...] about Some errors, incidents still arise in non-stop electronic toll collection

The Acceptance Council has approved the completion acceptance results of the investors to put the Trung Luong - My Thuan Expressway project into operation and use according to the approved design. (Photo: SGGP) On the same day, the People's Committee of Tien Giang Province will meet with departments and agencies to review the entire content of the acceptance document. After that, they will discuss the toll collection plan for Trung Luong - My Thuan Expressway project. Accordingly, the Acceptance Council has approved the completion acceptance results of the investors to put the Trung Luong - My Thuan Expressway project into operation and use according to the approved design. At the same time, the Acceptance Council suggested that Tien Giang Province soon study to find a solution to adjust the width and length of the current emergency stopping lanes to ensure this category functions effectively. After the project collects tolls, the People's Committee of Tien Giang Province … [Read more...] about Completion acceptance result of Trung Luong – My Thuan Expressway approved

Illustrative photo: SGGP According to the VEC, after nearly a week of putting the ETC system into exploitation , the fact that vehicles without ETC cards or insufficient balance on account is still being happening, causing high pressure for the management and exploitation and triggering congestion at non-stop toll collection stations. To handle the situation, the VEC issued an official letter to require vehicle owners and drivers to maintain minimum balance when traveling to non-stop toll collection stations. Accordingly, drivers have to maintain a balance amount of VND150,000 (US$6.4) when traveling to Noi Bai – Lao Cai Expressway, VND100,000 (US$4.3) to Da Nang – Quang Ngai Expressway, VND40,000 (US$1.7) in  Ho Chi Minh City – Long Thanh – Dau Giay and VND35,000 (US$1.5) in Cau Gie – Ninh Binh Expressway. As this requirement, many drivers were refused to enter expressways managed by VEC due to insufficient balance on the ETC account . At Noi Bai – Lao Cai Expressway, … [Read more...] about VEC removes minimum balance regulation in expressways

Employees of an ETC service provider is helping a vehicle driver to deposit money into his traffic account. Nguyen Van H from District 7 of Ho Chi Minh City informed that when transferring VND200,000 (US$8.5) from Citibank to ePass app to pay toll at collection booths, he is charged a service fee of VND6,000 ($0.26). Similarly, L.N.N. from District 12 is charged VND10,000 ($0.43) when transferring VND1 million ($42.7) from Agribank to VETC app for toll payment. A money transfer of VND200,000 ($8.5) from the e-wallet Momo also costs a fee of VND3,000 ($0.13). She annoyingly said that this fee, despite being a tiny sum, is still higher than the fee to transfer money between banks, which is normally free of only VND1,000 ($0.04). Only a minor quantity of banks like BIDV now allows this money transfer to ETC apps free of charge. To encourage cashless payment, recently, various e-wallet companies like Momo, Grab have run promotion campaigns. With each customer depositing a few … [Read more...] about Service fee for money transfer to ETC accounts should be exempted, reduced

According to the initial information, the reason for accident was started by the driver of a container truck who could not control the speed and crashed into a 4-seater car ahead and continued to collide with a 16-seater passenger coach. The accident caused wrecks and damaged automobiles at the scene; and many people were taken to the hospital. After receiving the information, the functional forces quickly cames to the scene to regulate the traffic; however, until 10 p.m., the traffic situation through the area was still congested. Regarding to the HCMC- Long Thanh- Dau Giay expressway, Sai Gon Giai Phong (SGGP) Newspaper has recently published articles reflecting prolonged traffic jams on the expressway because of non-stop electronic toll collection (ETC) implementation under the direction of the Government. The toll collection work has faced many difficulties because only 70 percent of vehicles are tagged with ETC cards along with system errors. Some photos of the … [Read more...] about Rear-end collision between 9 vehicles on HCMC- Long Thanh- Dau Giay expressway

The long queue of vehicles on Noi Bai- Lao Cai expressway Of which, the Ho Chi Minh City – Long Thanh – Dau Giay expressway confirmed over 37,500 errors; Da Nang – Quang Ngai recorded nearly 1,800 errors; Noi Bai – Lao Cai had over 6,200 errors, Cau Gie – Ninh Binh confirmed over 33,600 ones. The rate of transactions having errors accounted for around 20 percent of the total ones. Statistics of the Directorate for Roads of Vietnam also showed that the most popular error was insufficient balance on accounts with a proportion of over 80 percent, followed by invalid accounts, inactivated cards, and so on. Although the errors are in the drill and plan, the units still got troubled and could not deal with actual situations causing traffic congestion. In order to ensure the smooth operation of the ETC system and create favorable conditions for vehicles traveling through toll gates, the Directorate for Roads of Vietnam required the service providers to strengthen experienced staff at … [Read more...] about ETC system: insufficient balance accounts occupy 80 percent of transaction error

At the regular government meeting on August 3 Today, while concluding the discussion on socio-economic issues at the regular government meeting in July, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh  praised the efforts and results of all ministries, sectors and localities over the past time. For example, the Ministry of Transport has well carried out public investment disbursement, drastically implemented non-stop toll collection and promoted railway development. The Prime Minister sent his deep condolences to relatives and families of three firefighting police officers who passed away while attempting to put out a conflagration at a six-story karaoke parlor in Cau Giay District in Hanoi and reminded localities to pay more attention to social order, security, safety and people's safety, including fire prevention and fighting. Recently, at the proposal of the Government's Party Personnel Committee, the Politburo issued a resolution to add 65,980 additional teacher payrolls in the period from … [Read more...] about PM asks ministry to solve new passport model-related problems

In late July, the Ministry of Transport (MoT) sent a dispatch to the Ministry of Justice seeking the latter’s consensus in allowing VINA2 Investment and Construction JSC to transfer its stake in a project to one corporate entity and an individual investor outside the project’s consortium. VINA2 is one of three investors in a BOT project on the renewal and upgrading of National Highway 38’s road section connecting the national highways No.1 and No.5. This is also the first time a stake transfer at a BOT-related enterprise has taken place between a legal entity and individual investor. This rare case began a year ago when the project developer first sought approval from the MoT to allow VINA2 to transfer its entire 31 per cent stake to Vo Phi Hai, who would hold 28 per cent of the stake, and to Investment Mining Port JSC (IMPORT) that will keep the remaining 3 per cent. In the dispatch, the MoT assumed that the stake transfer to Hai is simply a capital restructuring step of the … [Read more...] about BOT procedure roadblocks hindering venture progress

The leader cited forecast by Standard Chartered, VinaCapital, Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited (HSBC), and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) as saying Vietnam’s GDP will grow from 6.5% to 6.9% this year. Vietnam has maintained macro-economic stability and major balances, and put inflation under control, creating an important foundation for rapid, sustainable socio-economic recovery and development, he emphasized. Regarding tasks and solutions in the time ahead, the PM asked ministries and agencies to implement their set tasks and plans, and tackle both pending and emerging issues. Priorities should be given to consolidating institutions, he said, urging ministries, agencies and localities to focus on socio-economic recovery and development, economic restructuring, growth model reform and improving the economy’s resilience, along with cultural development, environmental protection, national defense and security, external affairs, and the communications work. … [Read more...] about Int’l organizations upbeat on Vietnam’s development prospects: PM

Illustrative image (Source: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – Many prestigious international organisations and experts have highly valued Vietnam’s development achievements and prospects, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh told a government meeting in Hanoi on August 3. The leader cited forecast by Standard Chartered , VinaCapital, Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited (HSBC), and the Asian Development Bank ( ADB ) as saying Vietnam’s GDP will grow from 6.5% to 6.9% this year. Vietnam has maintained macro-economic stability and major balances, and put inflation under control, creating an important foundation for rapid, sustainable socio-economic recovery and development, he emphasised. Regarding tasks and solutions in the time ahead, the PM asked ministries and agencies to implement their set tasks and plans, and tackle both pending and emerging issues. Priorities should be given to consolidating institutions, he said, urging ministries, agencies and localities to … [Read more...] about Int’l organisations upbeat on Vietnam’s development prospects: PM