VietNamNet Bridge – A list of road maintenance and repair projects to be funded by road-user fees has been published by the ministries of finance and transport to allay public concerns over lack of transparency.

llustrative image. (Photo: VNN)

More than VND51 billion (US$2.4 million) has been collected from nearly 26,000 vehicles by the Viet Nam Register Agency over five days since the collection started last week. More than 35 million motorbikes and 1.5 million cars, lorries and buses are subject to the fee nationwide.

Under a decree signed by the two ministries, the funds would also be used for road management activities and vehicle roadside inspection stations.

The funds would be disbursed at the rate of 65 per cent to central level and 35 per cent to local level, with local transport departments proposing road maintenance projects for joints decisions by the two ministries.

A central management council and local councils had been established to ensure effective use of the road maintenance fund.

The two ministries and the central council would conduct regular and random inspections on management and use of the funds.

Any misuse of funds would have to be repaid and the people responsible held to account, the ministries said.

Annual road-use fees are VND50,000-150,000 ($2.3-7.1) for motorbikes and 11 different rates for other vehicles, from VND1.5 million ($71) for cars with less than 10 seats to VND12.5 million ($600) for lorries and commercial vehicles over 27 tonnes.

More willing to pay

Reports from registration centres in big cities such as Ha Noi, Da Nang and HCM City showed that motorbike owners who were fully informed of the final use of the fees were willing to pay them and that greater transparency would encourage more to pay.

Ha Noi transport company director Le Minh Hai said his firm was facing economic difficulties and the VND100 million ($4,760) fees it paid each year were a significant burden. However, he said, the decree was appropriate and the road repairs would benefit all road users including his company.

Da Nang City transport company director Nguyen Huu Thuy said his firm would spend several billions of dong paying road-use fees each year. But, he said, most countries imposed such fees and they were to be expected.

Many firms agreed the more money that went into road maintenance, the safer the roads became.

However, many owners of transport companies said they feared that transport fees would be raised. They were already 7-10 per cent of their total expenses, they said, and that passengers should be made to share the burden.

Source: VNS