Five expressways to use non-stop automatic toll collection by September

VEC has just reported to the Ministry of Transport on the ETC system for the expressways under its management. Accordingly, VEC had completed the investment, installation and operation of the ETC system on the Cau Gie - Ninh Binh Expressway from June 2020 for 15 lanes.

The system is currently operating effectively, with the service rate accounting for 51 percent of the whole line's revenue. The remaining expressways include Noi Bai - Lao Cai, HCM City - Long Thanh - Dau Giay, Ben Luc - Long Thanh, Da Nang - Quang Ngai and some other sections of Cau Gie -Ninh Binh. VEC approved and issued bidding documents for selecting ETC service providers from May this year. It was expected that the VEC would close the bid on May 25 and complete the contractor selection on June 30.

After selecting the contractor, the VEC will request it install the ETC system so that by mid-August the system is in operation for the Cau Gie - Ninh Binh and HCM City - Long Thanh - Dau Giay expressways. And by the end of September, the ETC will be applied to all the expressways operated by VEC.

Previously, the Ministry of Transport reported to Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on the progress of implementing the ETC on VEC-invested highway projects. VEC selected the option of hiring companies to provide investment and operation services for ETC on the highways managed by the VEC.

With this option, the cost of service hire is taken from the current toll management cost by the VEC, ensuring the progress under the direction of the Government on investing ETC system by the second quarter of this year and not affecting the VEC’s financial plan.

The Commission for the Management of State Capital at Enterprises then issued a document confirming the VEC's proposal of deploying the procedures for hiring a package service of ETC and manual toll collection operation was necessary and suitable with the financial plan for five VEC projects.

However, the commission requested the VEC study and set up ETC projects for each VEC project according to the approval of the ministries of Information and Communications, Finance, and Transport. Currently, the VEC has consulted the ministries of Information and Communications and Finance but has not yet received instructions. The VEC approved the plan to hire toll collection services and a contractor selection plan to ensure progress.