HÀ NỘI — Electronic toll collection (ETC) will be introduced at three toll stations in the central provinces of Việt Nam from this May.

This was stated by a representative of Việt Nam Electronic Toll Collection (VETC) Company, the project’s investor.

The three stations that will install the modern technology are Phú Bài toll station in Thừa Thiên-Huế Province, Tam Kỳ station in Quảng Nam Province and Hoàng Mai station in Nghệ An Province.

Transport Minister Trương Quang Nghĩa has asked road investors and ETC service enterprises to complete signing contracts by April 30 to install ETC at all stations on highways No 1 and No 4 running through the Central Highlands region by July 1. 

Earlier, on March 1, Hòa Phước toll booth on Highway No 1 in Quảng Nam Province already began operating the system. Hòa Phước toll booth is a gateway connecting to the busy central city of Đà Nẵng, with some 7,000 vehicles running through the station every day.

Bùi Ngọc Long, head of operation division of VETC Limited Company, said ETC at Hòa Phước station is available in both directions, using monthly or quarterly tickets. In mid-March, one-time tickets will be applicable.

Automobiles are installed with e-tags free of charge and connected with an online payment system via banks.

Car owners can have their e-tags stuck at the Hòa Phước station or at motor vehicle register centres of Quảng Nam Province and Đà Nẵng City.

“Automobile drivers no longer have to stop to pay fees and will be able to save time and fuel. Electronic receipts can be received on VETC’s smartphone app,” Long said.

According to transport experts, each stop for fee payment slows down a vehicle’s journey by two to three minutes and wastes fuel. ETC is estimated to help save running time, equivalent to some VNĐ2.8 trillion (US$124.5 million) per year and save fuel worth VNĐ233 billion ($10.4 million) at each station every year. — VNS