Binh Duong strives to speed up the implementation of electronic toll collection

According to the direction of the Prime Minister, by June 2022, 90% of the vehicles must be equipped with automatic toll collection tags (etag). Up to now, Binh Duong has only reached about 50% vehicles, not fulfilled the set target. Currently, the province's transport branch and traffic infrastructure BOT investors are proposing to remove related difficulties and obstacles to speed up the implementation progress.

From August 1 to now, many drivers and vehicle owners have applied for automatic toll collection identification cards. (Photo taken in the morning of August 4 at the Office of VETC Automatic Toll Collection Company, Suoi Giua Toll Station).

People agree

On August 4, as recorded by Binh Duong Newspaper, four days after the decision issued to sanction vehicles without etags and perform automatic electronic toll collection as traveling on highways, although Binh Duong Duong does not have highways passing through, many vehicle owners and drivers have been busy registering for identification cards to pay tolls automatically. At a etag issueing point near Phu Cuong bridge, within 3 hours, nearly 50 vehicles came for the registration procedures.

Mai Cong Giang, a truck driver living in Cu Chi district, Ho Chi Minh City, said that he regularly carried freights through Phu Cuong bridge and entered highways, thus he and many drivers waited to have the etag.  "This route is prone to congestion at the toll collection area across the bridge, if the vehicles are all affixed with etag, it will help limiting congestion, especially at peak hours," said Giang. Agreeing with this view, Do Van Thanh living in Cu Chi, Ho Chi Minh City, said: “Even if it's a family car, I've never been on the highway, but I'm worried when I hear the sanction decision. I find automatic toll collection very convenient for drivers, while contributing to reducing traffic congestion."

Nguyen Hoai Bao, a resident of Thu Dau Mot City, said that the non-stop electronic toll collection to help vehicles pass through toll stations continuously could limit traffic obstruction. However, Bao said that sometimes when passing through toll stations, there are technical problems, causing drivers to wait for the staff to handle, which easily leads to congestion. "We hope that the network operator and management agencies will soon fix it so that the automatic toll collection really offers more convenience for people and limits technical problems," said Bao.

To solve difficulties

Director of Provincial Department of Transport, said that Binh Duong currently has 5 road bridge BOT investors, 10 toll stations with 51 toll lanes. Currently, all toll lanes have been installed by BOT investors with toll collection devices in the form of automatic electronic non-stop. In each direction to and from each station, only 1 mixed toll lane is maintained in accordance with the Government's regulations. In order to speed up the without-stopping toll collection process under the direction of Directorate for Roads of Vietnam, Provincial Department of Transport has sent a written request to BOT enterprises to check and improve traffic organization at toll stations. Binh Duong has urged the implementation of non-stop electronic toll collection in the area. However, until July, less than 50% vehicles subject to this decision of the province have implemented the etag.

Huynh Van Rep, Director of National Highway 13 Toll Station under Becamex IJC, said that currently, about 55% vehicles passing through two toll stations, Suoi Giua and Vinh Phu, have electronic toll payment tags. He added that the implementation of automatic toll collection had some advantages, such as contributing to reducing the waiting time of vehicles as well as reducing the number of personnel on duty at stations… However, technical errors, like: the system cannot read a card; a vehicle owner registers an account but does not top up or the account runs out of money; a vehicle does not have etag but runs into the automatic toll lane, causing traffic congestion.

“Currently, we maintain only one mixed toll collection lane for vehicles that do not have automatic toll identification cards. In addition, at toll stations, additional backup lanes are arranged to quickly handle incidents. In the past few days, on average, more than 200 vehicles come to register for and stamp etags every day, this is a very good signal, showing that people and vehicle owners agree with the electronic toll collection,” said Rep.

Similarly, Nguyen Van Sen, Head of Phu Cuong Bridge toll station, said that up to now, the non-stop electronic toll collection through the station has been stable, people and drivers have also identified the right lane for automatic toll collection, limiting congestion incidents like before.

To remove difficulties and obstacles in the implementation of non-stop electronic toll collection in the province, Binh Duong proposed the Government to have mandatory regulations so that vehicle owners are responsible for registering and stamping cards; to have specific instructions on how to top up accounts, so that people who are less tech-savvy can still easily use this service; creating maximum conditions for vehicle owners when they want to switch from one service provider to another and vice versa, avoiding troubles or technical barriers to retain customers...

Reported by Minh Duy - Translated by Ngoc Huynh