The Hạ Long-Vân Đồn Expressway in Quảng Ninh Province. — VNA/VNS Photo

QUẢNG NINH — Increase of toll taxes for Bạch Đằng Bridge, the Hạ Long-Vân Đồn Highway and upgraded Hạ Long-Mông Dương road section on the National Highway 18 will start to take effect next month.

Accordingly, the People's Committee of Quảng Ninh Province has just agreed with the proposal of increasing toll by a maximum of 18 per cent compared to the current price applicable to each vehicle group that will be using the projects.

The three projects are the transport infrastructure investment projects invested under the form of build, operation and transfer (BOT).

Currently, BOT toll stations of the above projects have all posted public notices. As regulations, the price adjustment period is 30 days after the public announcement and public posting at the toll stations of the adjusted level according to regulations.

The committee said that the reason and basis for toll tax adjustment is that the Bạch Đằng Bridge, the leading roads and the intersections was completed and put into toll collection since October 15, 2018 and the Hạ Long-Vân Đồn Expressway and the Hạ Long-Mông Dương road section were put into toll from February 1, 2019 and February 14, 2018, respectively.

Under the BOT contract signed between the provincial People's Committee and investors, toll tax will be adjusted to increase every 3 years, with each increase not exceeding 18 per cent.

According to the roadmap of toll increase, the projects had their toll taxes increased in 2021 and 2022.

The provincial Department of Transport said that 2024 should have been the second price adjustment for the Bạch Đằng Bridge and the Hạ Long-Vân Đồn Expressway.

However, in order to accompany businesses to overcome difficulties in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, and cut maritime, aviation and road logistics costs as per the Prime Minister's direction, toll stations nationwide and the toll stations of the two above-mentioned projects in particularly in Quảng Ninh have halted the increase.

Statistics from the Quảng Department of Transport showed that, due to the pandemic, the actual revenue of BOT projects has been much lower than the expected revenue in the financial plan of the project contracts.

Specifically, in the period 2018-23, actual revenue of the Bạch Đằng Bridge just reached 22.63-38.96 per cent compared to the financial plan while the Hạ Long-Vân Đồn Expressway and the Hạ Long-Mông Dương road’s was 31.03-61.3 per cent.

According to investor representative of the Hạ Long-Mông Dương road, new toll taxes will increase from VNĐ35,000 to 41,000 (US$1.4-1.64) for vehicles with less than 12 seats, ones with a load of less than 2 tonnes and public transport buses; from VNĐ50,000 to 59,000 ($2-2.36) for vehicles from 12 to 30 seats, vehicles with loading capacity from 2 tonnes to less than 4 tonnes; and from VNĐ75,000 to 87,000 ($2.99-3.47) for vehicles with 31 seats or more, and ones with loading capacity from 4 tonnes to less than 10 tonnes.

But road tolls for vehicles with a load capacity of 10 tonnes to less than 18 tons, 18 tonnes or more, 20-foot and 40-foot container trucks remain the same rates as the current ones of VNĐ90,000 ($3.6) and VNĐ140,000 ($5.6).

For the Hạ Long-Vân Đồn Expressway, the toll rate of vehicles with 31 seats or more, vehicles with a load of 4 tonnes to less than 10 tonnes will increase from VNĐ3,600 up to VNĐ4,200 per kilometre; and of vehicles with loading capacity from 10 tonnes to less than 18 tonnes, and 20-foot container trucks increase from VNĐ6,000 to 7,000 per km while vehicles with a load capacity of 18 tons or more, 40-foot container trucks will pay VNĐ9,500 per km as compared VNĐ8,100 of previous price. — VNS