VietNamNet Bridge –The Ministry of Transport will launch a pilot scheme to collect e-toll at three tollgates on National Highway 1A and Ho Chi Minh Road.

File photo of a tollgate near Phu My Bridge in HCMC. The Ministry of Transport will pilot a scheme to collect e-toll at three highway tollgates

The ministry is mulling using the U.S. electronic toll collection (ETC) technology to enable vehicles to pay tolls without stopping at Hoang Mai Tollgate and the station at Km 604+700 on National Highway 1A and the tollgate at Km 1813+650 on Ho Chi Minh Road.

The ministry will collect e-tolls at 35 stations on National Highway 1A’s section from Thanh Hoa to Can Tho and Ho Chi Minh Road’s section in the Central Highlands region if the pilot scheme is successful. After that, e-toll collection will be expanded to the remaining roads nationwide, including expressways.

The application of e-toll collection technology will help enhance transparency, the ministry said.

According to Deputy Minister of Transport Nguyen Hong Truong, there are many tollgates on national highways nationwide, and traditional toll collection often causes traffic congestion and needs to employ large numbers of toll collectors.

With the e-toll collection, vehicles will have an E-tag on the windshield and toll payment accounts. When they run into the lanes with toll collection, they will be identified by laser technology and their registration numbers will be captured by camera.

If the vehicle passes a certain toll station, the bar will be lifted up automatically and the toll will be deducted from the account. In case money in the account is not enough or the vehicle does not have an E-tag, the driver will have to buy a ticket to get through.

The Ministry of Transport is considering plans to install automatic weighbridges to replace the existing weigh systems used by transport inspectors at the moment. Automatic weighbridges will help reduce costs as there is no need for officers to work around the clock.

Both tollgates and automatic weighbridges will be integrated and operated by a control center of the ministry.    

SGT