Trucks pay tolls at toll collection booths on the National Highway no.5. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — From Thursday (March 12), cars and trucks running through two toll collection stations on the National Highway No 5 connecting port city of Hải Phòng and the capital city of Hà Nội can pay for tolls automatically.

To use the service, a vehicle needs to bear an automatic payment tag (Etag) provided by Việt Nam Electronic Toll Company and top up to pay the toll.

Vehicles which do not have Etag or sufficient funds on their Etag can still use manual payment lanes.

VETC also set up booths in both ends of each toll collection station from Wednesday for vehicles to register the service and top up their accounts.

The project to deploy electronic toll collection systems at BOT (build-operate-transfer) toll stations nationwide is behind schedule.

Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc has asked Ministry of Transport (MoT) to file a report on the electronic toll collection project by March 31.

The project’s first phase launched in November 2014 has an investment of more than VNĐ2 trillion (US$86.2 million), aiming to providing the service for 44 BOT stations.

Until now, MoT has signed contract appendixes to implement the ETC system at 35 toll stations.

The project’s second phase will deploy the system in 33 stations with a joint-venture of Viettel and other IT companies as a main investor. — VNS