HÀ NỘI – The Việt Nam Automobile Association has asked Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc to resolve problems that transport firms face, including those relating to road maintenance fees, the distance between toll booths and the management of transport prices, an official said.

Nguyễn Văn Thanh, president of the association, said the Government should review fees for BOT (build-operate-transfer) roads and the distance between BOT toll booths to make it relevant to local people and in accordance with state regulations.

It was necessary to apply scientific technology to toll collection to cut costs and minimise time delays caused by having to stop at multiple BOT toll booths, he said.

Thanh said the Government shouldn’t regulate the transport fee, but let it be determined by the market.

Transport enterprises had to declare the transport fee to the local finance department and publicise it, he said.

To improve the effectiveness of transport and provide greater transparency on its price, Thanh said the Government should create favourable conditions for the development of a trading floor to avoid unhealthy competition among freight service providers.

Thanh emphasised the need to reduce troublesome procedures for vehicles operating on fixed routes and enterprises that take part in transport activities.

Thanh also asked the Prime Minister to maintain and open more bus stations near residential areas and tighten the management of transport firms operating under contract to prevent illegal buses from operating without licences as well as the existence of unauthorised stops along roads. He called for stricter control of Uber and Grab Taxi services to create a level playing field among transport services.

Higher toll rejected

The Ministry of Finance has rejected a proposal from Việt Nam Expressway Corporation (VEC) to raise the toll on the Cầu Giẽ-Ninh Bình Expressway.

In accordance with the Ministry of Transport’s approval of the Cầu Giẽ-Ninh Bình Expressway project, the fee for the expressway is set at VNĐ1,500 (6 US cents) a kilometre, and the price will be increased by 10 per cent every five years.

Given the current socio-economic situation, the fee on the expressway should not be raised, the ministry said.

Previously, the Ministry of Transport said it was not the right time to increase fees on the Cầu Giẽ-Ninh Bình Expressway.

Earlier this month, VEC asked the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Transport to permit a toll increase of VNĐ500 to 2,000 (9 US cents) a kilometre.

According to VEC, the toll has remained unchanged over the past five years, while the consumer price index has increased by 21 per cent since the expressway opened to traffic in 2011.

In addition, VEC has invested VNĐ590 billion (US$26.5 million) in an asphalt concrete friction course and other auxiliary items to ensure traffic safety. It also broadened toll booths and equipped them with intelligent transport systems. As a result, the maximum speed on the expressway was increased to 120 kilometres per hour on February 22, the VEC said.

The completion of the Cầu Giẽ-Ninh Bình Expressway has helped ease traffic congestion on National Highway 1A and halve the travelling time between Hà Nội and provinces south of the Red River Delta. — VNS