HÀ NỘI — Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc has asked relevant offices to push for automated toll collection on build-operation-transfer (BOT) highways across the country.

The Prime Minister believes that the automated model will help save time and ensure transparency.

The Ministry of Transport, in collaboration with related ministries and agencies, was tasked with setting up standard rates for toll, which would be used as the foundation to bid for toll tax collectors as per the National Assembly Standing Committee’s resolution 437/NQ-UBTVQH, dated October 2017.

Besides this, the transport ministry was asked to report to the Prime Minister on a roadmap for shifting to an automated toll collection model on all BOT highways by the first quarter of this year.

The ministry was responsible to support BOT investors and toll tax collectors to apply the model.

The authorities should review legal documents and circulars on implementing the automated model to ensure accuracy, transparency and synchronousity at all toll tax stations.

Each vehicle has only one identity card which is used at all stations nationwide.

The Prime Minister issued decision 07/2017/QĐ-TTg last year on implementing the model of collecting toll on BOT highways nationwide.

Toll tax collectors were asked to install automated toll collection systems to ensure smooth operations 24x7 and to protect the personal information of clients as per legal regulations.

After a year of implementation, the model has been proved to be effective, although it still has a few shortcomings.

One of the reasons is the lack of legal documents regulating management and operation of the automated system.

Since there is no roapmap for shifting to the new system, it is causing difficulties to toll tax collectors.

Moreover, the launch of the model was not synchronous at all the stations, which caused inconvenience to road users. — VNS