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| A traffic jam at Sông Phan BOT booth in Bình Thuận Province. – VNA/VNS Photo Nguyễn Thanh |
Viet Nam News
HÀ NỘI — Drivers parking at Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) booths for longer than five minutes will be fined.
This decision comes following the Directorate for Road of Việt Nam’s order to place “No Parking over 5 minutes” road signs.
The directorate has ordered BOT investors, the Highway Management Department, local and road management departments and transport departments to complete placing the sign by Thursday.
Nguyễn Văn Thành, deputy head of Road Management Department No.4 (in the South), told Tuổi Trẻ (youth) newspaper that transport inspectors of the department will work with local transport departments to inspect and impose a punishment on violating drivers at 19 BOT booths nationwide.
Those who repeat violations on purpose will have to pay severe fines, he said.
According to Decree 46 on administrative penalties for road traffic offences and rail transport offences, drivers who block traffic at BOT toll booths will be fined from VNĐ800,000 (US$35) to VNĐ2 million ($87).
Those who do not follow police order or deliberately park their cars blocking traffic and leading to serious consequences will face three to ten years in prison for violating road traffic regulations, as stated in the Criminal Code.
The administration also asked BOT investors to install additional cameras at the booths to record cases in which drivers cause disorder. The images recorded in the camera will be sent to the Ministry of Public Security and provincial people’s committees for further punishment.
Minister of Public Security Tô Lâm and Transport Minister Nguyễn Văn Thể on Wednesday ordered police and local authorities to ensure traffic order and avoid traffic congestion at BOT toll booths during Tết (Lunar New Year), which will take place mid next month.
In the last few months, drivers have been reportedly protesting at BOT toll stations nationwide because of high or unreasonable toll fees. The drivers drive slowly, park for long at toll stations or pay in small notes, causing traffic blocks.
At present, there are 88 BOT toll stations on National Highways in Việt Nam, of which, 73 stations are overseen by the Transport Ministry, while the remaining 15 stations are overseen by provinces’ People’s Committees. — VNS
