VietNamNet Bridge – Drivers using National Highway No 5 in the northern Hai Phong City are asking for the removal of two toll stations on the route to avoid paying double road fees.

The stretch of National Highway No 5 in the Long Bien District of Ha Noi. Drivers are paying both the road maintenance and Build-Transfer-Operate (BOT) fees. — VNA/VNS Photo

Chairman of the city’s Transportation Association Le Van Tien said the highway was developed with funds from the State budget, and according to current regulations, drivers were paying a road maintenance fee.

Toll is usually required to be paid by vehicles travelling on Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) road projects.

At present, drivers on National Highway No 5 are paying both road-related fees.

A representative from a local transportation firm said his company had to pay VND1.7 million per month, or over VND600 million (US$26,400) per year, as road maintenance fee for its 30 container trucks.

“Transportation firms suffer from a double burden because of the overlapping fees,” he said.

Deputy Minister of Transport Nguyen Van Cong explained that drivers currently paid both fees because the Road Maintenance Fund had failed to meet funding for regular maintenance of national highways.

The toll fees collected from vehicles travelling on National Highway No 5 was actually aimed at helping the Ha Noi-Hai Phong Expressway investor get back his investment.

This was one of the special mechanisms granted by the Prime Minister to express investor Viet Nam Infrastructure Development and Finance Investment Joint Stock Company (VIDIFI) since the express route required huge investment.

Le Hoang Minh, chief of the Office of the Central Road Maintenance Fund, said since 2013, the fund increased by some VND6 trillion ($264 million) yearly because the number of vehicles increased 5-10 per cent every year.

As much as 65 per cent of the fund was spent on maintenance of over 20,000km of national highways in the country while the remaining 35 per cent was spent on provincial or district roads.

“However, the road maintenance fund is currently able to cover 25 per cent of required funding,” Minh said, adding that road maintenance work still required more funding from the State budget.

For example, last year, the Road Maintenance Fund collected over VND6.3 trillion; however the Government must provide an additional VND3.5 trillion to maintain roads nationwide.

Minh said since Viet Nam was tightening its belt, it was difficult to allot more money for road maintenance. Therefore, at this time, the Road Maintenance Fund could not be removed.

VNS