A view of the lane, which is exclusively designed for the non-stop toll collection services, at a toll booth in Cần Thơ City. — Photo courtesy of Vietnam Expressway Corporation

HÀ NỘI — Vehicles without electronic tags will be fined if they try to drive through automated toll stations without paying if a suggestion put forward by the Directorate for Roads of Việt Nam (DRVN) is approved by the Ministry of Public Security’s Traffic Police Department.

In a document sent to the Traffic Police Department, the DRVN has asked for management units to filter traffic into the right lanes.

Vehicles with e-tags will be allowed to continue through automated gates, but the rest will have to go through manual tolls.

The DRVN has asked police to hand out penalties for violations from November 11.

The DRVN said the move was in preparation for the application of non-stop electronic toll fee services nationwide in early 2020.

Under this model, drivers will be able to top up their accounts through text or banking services to pay toll fees at BOT booths nationwide.

Each vehicle will be given an electronic tag attached to the windscreen. A private lane with a high-speed data system will recognise the tags and raise the barrier automatically.

Recently, cars without tags have been reportedly using the non-stop toll lanes, causing congestion and long waits for e-tagged vehicles.

A representative from the Traffic Police Department said it had received the request and was working on appropriate fines for the new violations.

Under the draft decree, which is planned to replace Decree 46 on fines for traffic violators, vehicles without e-tags will be fined between VNĐ800,000 (US$32) and VNĐ1.2 million ($51), and drivers will have their driving licences revoked for one to three months if they use the wrong lanes.

Licences will be revoked for four months if an accident occurs. The decree is under consideration. — VNS