Quảng Trị BOT booth in Triệu Phong District, central province of Quảng Trị. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — The Directorate for Roads of Việt Nam has asked Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) investors nationwide to hand over BOT toll booths before September 25 to implement electronic toll collection (ETC).

The directorate also ordered the investors to develop plans to deal with redundant labour force and properties after the automated toll fee collection system is put into operation.

The BOT investors must work with ETC investors to operate and manage fee collection.

The Road Management Department under the Directorate for Roads of Việt Nam is responsible for reviewing the transfer of toll booths and solutions to deal with labour force and properties. The department has been assigned to report to the directorate before October 7.

For BOT stations of which investors have not submitted required plans, the investors must allocate their own budgets for management after toll collection is shifted to ETC.

Decision 07/2017 issued by the Prime Minister required BOT investors on National Highway No 1 and the section of Hồ Chí Minh Expressway running through the Central Highlands to transfer all toll booths to fee collection service providers to prepare for ETC. The deadline was December 31, 2018.

Investors of BOT booths constructed after January 1, 2019 must transfer the booths to service providers after they are put into operation.

The deadline to apply automated non-stop toll collection across the country is by the end of this year.

Toll collection of BOT projects failing to apply the automated non-stop toll collection as requested will be suspended.

The transport ministry was tasked to increase inspection and supervision, ensuring smooth operation of automated non-stop toll collection systems.

The ministry is responsible for supporting BOT investors and toll collectors in applying the model, Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc said.

Minister of Transport Nguyễn Văn Thể said in June in front of the National Assembly that toll booths will add cameras to monitor traffic and revenues. So far, only 30 per cent of toll stations nationwide have used automated non-stop toll collection services.

In order to pay a toll through the automated system, automobile owners will be granted an e-tag free of charge along with a toll payment account.

The cards are to be placed on the front window of the automobile, and when the vehicle passes a toll collection lane, a Radio Frequency Identification system installed at the toll station will activate a camera to photograph the vehicle’s plate number while reading the e-tag.

The toll will be deducted from the driver’s account and a text message will be sent to the account holder’s mobile phone.

According to the transport ministry, more than 700,000 vehicles were given e-tags as of June. — VNS