The plan to collect tolls on 18 state-invested highways is gradually becoming clearer.

If approved by competent authorities, in the first year of implementation, 18 segments of the North-South Eastern Expressway invested by the State can achieve toll revenue of up to more than 4,500 billion VND.

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The Vietnam Road Administration has just issued Document No. 39/TTr-CDBVN requesting the Ministry of Construction to approve the Project on exploiting infrastructure assets of the Hoa Lien - Tuy Loan expressway and the North - South expressways in the East for the period 2021 - 2025 under the management of the Ministry of Construction.

Accordingly, the Vietnam Road Administration, in its role as the asset management agency, proposed that the Ministry of Construction allow the organization and management of highway toll collection for 13 segments of the North-South expressway in the East with 100% State capital investment, including: Bai Vot - Ham Nghi; Ham Nghi - Vung Ang; Vung Ang - Bung; Bung - Van Ninh; Van Ninh - Cam Lo; Hoa Lien - Tuy Loan; Quang Ngai - Hoai Nhon; Hoai Nhon - Quy Nhon; Quy Nhon - Chi Thanh; Chi Thanh - Van Phong; Van Phong - Nha Trang; Can Tho - Hau Giang ; Hau Giang - Ca Mau.

According to the proposal of the Vietnam Road Administration, the exploitation method for these 13 segments is that the asset management agency directly organizes the exploitation of road traffic infrastructure assets; the asset exploitation period is 7 years from the date of starting toll collection.

The Vietnam Road Administration recommends that the Ministry of Construction assign the Department to collect tolls on expressways after meeting the conditions specified in Decree No. 130/2024/ND-CP dated October 10, 2024 of the Government on collecting tolls for using expressways for vehicles traveling on expressways owned by the entire people and directly managed and operated by the State.

“During the process of evaluating the implementation of the policy or after the end of a cycle of equipment exploitation, the Vietnam Road Administration will study and propose other suitable exploitation methods,” said Mr. Nguyen Viet Huy, Deputy Director of the Vietnam Road Administration.

Previously, in early April 2025, based on the proposal of the Vietnam Road Administration, the Minister of Construction signed Decision No. 496/QD-BXD approving the Project on exploiting the infrastructure assets of the Mai Son - National Highway 45, National Highway 45 - Nghi Son, Nghi Son - Dien Chau, Vinh Hao - Phan Thiet, Phan Thiet - Dau Giay expressways under the management of the Ministry of Construction.

These are also 5 component projects of the Project to Build a number of sections of the North-South Expressway in the East, phase 2017 - 2020, using public investment capital, completed by the Ministry of Construction and put into operation in the period 2022 - 2023.

Thus, if approved by the Ministry of Construction, all 18 component projects using 100% public investment capital under the Project to invest in the construction of some sections of the North-South Eastern Expressway in the 2017-2020 period and the Project to invest in the North-South Eastern Expressway in the 2021-2025 period have a toll collection plan.

It is expected that in the first year of toll collection, 18 component projects of the North-South Expressway in the East invested by the State will bring in toll revenue of about 4,500 billion VND.

Of which, 13 component projects mentioned in Report No. 39 will achieve toll revenue of VND2,636.39 billion in the first year and will increase to VND2,898.84 billion in the second year; VND3,195 billion in the third year; VND3,530 billion in the fourth year; VND3,911 billion in the fifth year; VND4,143.32 billion in the sixth year and VND4,377.91 billion in the seventh year.

After deducting management costs, costs of hiring collection operators and costs related to toll collection, these 13 component projects will pay the budget about VND 23,088.3 billion.

Ensure transparency in fee collection

Regarding the mechanism for organizing toll collection, the Vietnam Road Administration said that the Regional Road Management Areas are the units directly performing the state management function of roads within their management scope; directly managing, operating, exploiting, maintaining and protecting road infrastructure.

The management, exploitation and organization of toll collection through stations for expressway sections invested, owned and managed by the State will apply non-stop automatic toll collection technology, through the form of bidding to select a service provider for road use payment and a collection operator, thus not creating additional organizational structure and staffing.

The Regional Road Management Areas under the Vietnam Road Administration only perform the functions of competent state agencies in inspecting and supervising toll collection.

“The toll collection will apply non-stop automatic toll collection technology, with interconnection with other expressway sections on the same route. This technology ensures that toll collection is carried out accurately, publicly, transparently and conveniently, through bidding to select payment service providers and collection operators; state agencies will perform inspection and supervision tasks,” Mr. Nguyen Viet Huy informed.

However, in order to collect tolls on the 18 expressways mentioned above, the Vietnam Road Administration must meet a number of other important conditions such as: completing the construction and installation of toll station infrastructure; equipment for toll collection; public service works at rest stops; technical infrastructure and technological equipment for traffic management and operation.

Regarding investment, construction of toll station infrastructure and equipment procurement for the North-South expressway construction investment projects in the Eastern region in the 2021-2025 period, the Vietnam Road Administration said that investors are speeding up the implementation of these items, expected to be completed and put into use by the end of 2025.

In addition, agencies and units under the Ministry of Construction are accelerating the investment in intelligent traffic control and management systems (ITS), automatic non-stop toll collection (ETC) on the Eastern North-South expressways; Back-End systems and electronic payment databases for road traffic.

“In the process of researching and approving the investment project for the ITS, ETC, Back-End systems and the road traffic electronic payment database, relevant agencies (consultants, investors, etc.) have assessed the connection and synchronization of the entire system; ensuring consistency and interconnection between the ETC system of the North-South expressway investment projects in the East with the systems of the two non-stop automatic toll collection projects currently in operation, BOO1 and BOO2. The investment progress of these items will also be completed before December 31, 2025,” said the leader of the Vietnam Road Administration.

Regarding the investment in rest stops, according to the approval of the Ministry of Construction, on the North-South expressway in the East, it is expected to invest in 24 new rest stops, of which 3 stations are not yet included in the investment project, 21 stations are already included in the project.

To date, 18/21 stations have signed contracts with investors, 3/21 stations have not signed contracts. At the 18 stations that have signed contracts, the implementation progress is assessed to be slow due to problems with site clearance, and may not be completed by the end of December 2025.

“This is the bottleneck that greatly affects the goal of collecting tolls on all components of the North-South Expressway in the East invested by the State by January 1, 2026,” the leader of the Vietnam Road Administration worried.

Source: https://baodautu.vn/ro-dan-phuong-an-thu-phi-18-tuyen-cao-toc-do-nha-nuoc-dau-tu-d319972.html