VietNamNet Bridge – My Loc Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) toll station in the northern province of Nam Dinh has re-opened to traffic from 6am on Wednesday after being closed for seven months.

My Loc toll station in Nam Dinh Province. The station has reopened with cuts made to fees. — VNA/VNS Photo Van Dat

It stopped collecting tolls in July last year due to protests from drivers over fee hikes.

The collector, TASCO Joint Stock Company, has published toll prices and a list of vehicles which will have fees waived.

The tolls for cars with fewer than 12 seats, trucks weighing less than two tonnes and buses have been slashed from VND30,000 (US$1.3) to VND15,000 ($0.7).

Cars with between 12 and 30 seats and trucks weighing from two to four tonnes will pay VND25,000 ($1.1) instead of VND40,000 ($1.7).

Trucks weighing 10 to 18 tonnes and 20-feet containers have had tolls reduced from VND100,000 ($4.4) to VND60,000 ($2.6).

Non-business drivers whose houses are located within a 3km radius of the station will have fees waived.

Vehicles of State officers working in My Loc District, State-owned cars of agencies located in the district, garbage trucks and local buses will also be exempt from the fee.

A representative of Nam Dinh Province’s Transport Department said vehicles travelling from Nam Dinh Province to Ha Nam Province and Hanoi and vice versa can choose to either take the route through My Loc toll station or take Highway No.21 to avoid the toll booth.

A Vietnam News Agency correspondent reported from the site that the first morning since the reopening of the booth had gone smoothly.

Drivers think the new toll is appropriate. The collector has opened lanes for non-stop electronic toll service.

The My Loc toll station is located on the route connecting Highway No.10 and My Loc Town with investment of more than VND487.7 billion ($20.7 million).

The station is planned to operate until 2027 to recoup the investment.

In a related move, the Viet Nam Road Administration will inspect toll collection of Ninh Loc BOT station in central province of Khanh Hoa.

The inspection will be from March 20 until March 27 and conducted by the Ministry of Public Security, the Khanh Hoa Province’s Tax Department, local authorities and representatives of the investor.

The inspection has been proposed by the investor, Deo Ca Khanh Hoa Investment Joint Stock Company, in order to make toll collection transparent and allow residents to supervise the collection.

Residents living around the station have raised doubts over the toll transparency.

On February 26, a group of 10 local residents approached the station and asked to count the number of vehicles themselves, blocking traffic.

The BOT Ninh Loc Station collects fees for the Highway No.1 expansion project running though Khanh Hoa Province and was opened to traffic in late 2015. 

Source: VNS