QUẢNG NINH — People’s Committee of Quảng Ninh has asked provincial police forces to urgently investigate the public disturbances at BOT Biên Cương Toll Station on National Highway No 18.

In the document sent to the provincial police agency, the committee has requested the agency to focus on cases causing security disorder and blocking traffic at Biên Cương Toll Station along the highway passing through the Hạ Long-Mông Dương route.

The request was made after local people gathered in Cẩm Phả City to obstruct traffic two days ago when Biên Cương Toll Station became operational.

The committee has assigned the director of the Department of Transport to mobilise traffic inspection forces to conduct inspection of vehicles passing through the toll station and to review and install traffic signs at BOT stations to ensure smooth flow of traffic.

Leaders of the province have instructed the Party secretaries and chairmen of the people’s committees of Cẩm Phả City and Vân Đồn District to coordinate with the functional agencies to classify and penalise those who deliberately obstruct traffic and cause security disorder.

The Chairman of the People’s Committee of Cẩm Phả City has been asked to come up with plans to clear traffic congestion at the station.

BOT Biên Cương JSC has been asked to coordinate with functional forces in collecting fees from vehicles passing through Hạ Long-Mông Dương route on the highway in accordance with the regulations.

The project of upgrading the Hạ Long-Mông Dương section of National Highway No 18 was implemented in September 2015 under the form of BOT (build-operate-transfer). The project had a total investment capital of some VNĐ2 trillion (US$88 million) by BOT Biên Cương JSC.

The company began collecting fees from February 13. It paused fee collection during the Tết (Vietnamese Lunar New Year) holiday season and resumed it on February 20, when public disturbances began, blocking traffic and causing security disorder at the toll station. — VNS