Electronic toll collection (ETC) will be introduced at 3 toll stations in the central provinces of Viet Nam from this May.

The Hoa Phuoc toll station. – Photo courtesy of VETC Company

This was stated by a representative of Viet Nam Electronic Toll Collection (VETC) Company, the project’s investor.

The 3 stations that will install the modern technology are Phu Bai toll station in Thua Thien-Hue Province, Tam Ky station in Quang Nam Province and Hoang Mai station in Nghe An Province.

Transport Minister Truong Quang Nghia has asked road investors and ETC service enterprises to complete signing contracts by April 30 to install ETC at all stations on highways No 1 and No 4 running through the Central Highlands region by July 1.

Earlier, on March 1, Hoa Phuoc toll booth on Highway No 1 in Quang Nam Province already began operating the system. Hoa Phuoc toll booth is a gateway connecting to Da Nang, with some 7,000 vehicles running through the station every day.

Bui Ngoc Long, head of operation division of VETC Limited Company, said ETC at Hoa Phuoc station is available in both directions, using monthly or quarterly tickets. In mid-March, one-time tickets will be applicable.

Automobiles are installed with e-tags free of charge and connected with an online payment system via banks.

Car owners can have their e-tags stuck at the Hoa Phuoc station or at motor vehicle register centres of Quang Nam Province and Da Nang.

“Automobile drivers no longer have to stop to pay fees and will be able to save time and fuel. Electronic receipts can be received on VETC’s smartphone app,” Long said.

According to transport experts, each stop for fee payment slows down a vehicle’s journey by 2 to 3 minutes and wastes fuel. ETC is estimated to help save running time, equivalent to some 2.8 trillion VND (US$124.5 million) per year and save fuel worth 233 billion VND ($10.4 million) at each station every year.

(Source: VNS)