VietNamNet Bridge - Transport firms in Hai Phong City said they dare not go on the Hanoi – Hai Phong Highway because of the high fee, which makes their services less competitive.

 

The Hanoi – Hai Phong Highway was put into traffic in early December

The Hanoi – Hai Phong Highway was put into traffic on December 5 with the hope of easing overloading on Highway No 5. However, following the highway is not a choice of the majority of businesses.

Le Nhu Tien, chair of the Hai Phong City Overland Cargo Transport Association, confirming that businesses don’t like going on the highway, said on Bizlive that the highway was modern and beautiful, but the fee was high, which was three times higher than the fee they have to pay on Highway No 5.

Tien said transport firms need some more time to negotiate with goods owners about the new fees. If goods owners do not accept the high fees, transport firms will take a loss.

Before putting the Hanoi – Hai Phong Highway into use, the Ministry of Transport released a document requesting all trucks with tonnage over 15 tons departing the Dinh Vu Port in Hai Phong City to follow the new highway, not Highway No 5, which is now under maintenance.

The Hanoi – Hai Phong Highway was put into traffic on December 5 with the hope of easing overloading on Highway No 5. However, following the highway is not a choice of the majority of businesses.

The document has faced strong opposition from transport firms. The Hai Phong City Transport Association estimated that if having to go on the new highway, transport firms will have to spend VND1 trillion more every year.

Every truck on the highway will have to pay a fee of VND500,000 for return ticket, and VND300,000 for fuel, which means the total fee of VND800,000 a day. It is estimated that 10,000-12,000 trucks carrying cargo use the highway every day, which means they will have to pay the additional amount of VND10 billion in total a day, or VND30 billion a month and VND1 trillion a year.

Meanwhile, if they followed the old route, Highway No 5, transport firms would have to pay VND80,000-160,000 for one trip, according to Tien.

Nguyen Van Tien, director of a transport firm, said on Tuoi Tre his company has bought monthly tickets to travel on Highway No 5 at VND4.8 million for every truck (the fee was VND2.4 million in the past). With 30 trucks, the company has spent VND200 million on tickets.

As such, if his trucks can no longer travel on Highway No 5, the amount of VND200 million will be wasted.

Tien went on to say that the state was too hasty in prohibiting trucks with more than 15 tons to run on Highway No 5, affirming that the 4-lane road can maintain the current traffic.


Kim Chi