Vehicles passing by the Nội Bài-Lào Cai toll booths on August 1, 2022. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — An electronic toll collection (ETC) system has been launched on Nội Bài-Lào Cai Expressway, the first route in the North-South Expressway and the first connecting the capital city with the Northwestern region to operate the system.

Addressing the launch ceremony on Monday, Chairman of the Việt Nam Expressway Corporation (VEC) Member Council Trương Việt Đông said that this was an important milestone in efforts to install the ETC system on expressways operated by VEC.

He said that so far, VEC had installed the system at 15 toll plazas along the Nội Bài-Lào Cai Expressway. From August 1, all vehicles that do not use ETC tags or do not have enough money in their accounts will not be able to travel on the expressway.

Earlier, VEC and its service supplier TASCO had launched the ETC system on Cầu Giẽ-Ninh Bình, HCM City-Long Thành-Dầu Giây and Đà Nẵng-Quảng Ngãi expressways, realising the Government’s direction to apply the ETC system before August 1.

According to Đông, VEC will continue to seek investment sources and consider the plan to expand the Yên Bái-Lào Cai part of the expressway to four lanes to meet the socio-economic development requirements of the region.

Currently, the Nội Bài-Lào Cai Expressway serves about 35,000-40,000 vehicles a day. — VNS