Drivers pay small notes at toll station in protest
Many drivers are putting small notes into bottles when they pay toll fees at Cai Lay BOT toll station in the Mekong Delta province of Tien Giang as part of a go-slow protest at excessive fees.
According to drivers, the fees of VND35,000-180,000 (USD1.50-8.18) each time for a 12-km road with just two lanes is too high. Meanwhile, the fees for vehicles of from seven seats and lower is just VND40,000 on Trung Luong-HCM City Highway which is up to 50km and has four lanes.
Drivers also oppose the location where the toll station is built. The station is aimed to collect fees from vehicles which go into the 12-km road leading to Cai Lay Town. However, it is situated on National Highway 1 which bizarrely means even vehicles not using the 12-km road also have to pay the fees.
The protest has slowed payment at the toll gates.
To avoid the fees payment, many vehicles, including overloaded ones, try to use other routes, disturbing other neighbourhoods.
National Highway 1 Tien Giang Investment Co Ltd, the toll station owner has had the temerity to ask the provincial police to fine drivers who use legal tender small notes for the fees and unsurprisingly have not considered cutting their fees.
The toll station investor explained that besides spending VND1 trillion (USD45.4 million) to build the 12-km road to Cai Lay Town, they also invested VND300 billion (USD13.6 million) to upgrade 26.5 kilometres of National Highway 1. This is why the toll station is located on the national highway, a move approved by the provincial people’s committee, ministries of transport and finance.
Tran Van Bon, director of Tien Giang Province’s Department of Transport said that the fee charged by Cai Lay BOT toll station is quite high compared to Trung Luong-HCM City Highway. He said that the fees should be reduced to VND25,000.
He added that he will consult the provincial authorities about the problem so that they could make proposals to the Ministry of Transport.
Earlier, some truck drivers also used small change to pay toll fees at tollgates or parked their vehicles at the toll stations, including Ben Thuy in Nghe An Province, Tam Nong in Phu Tho Province, Thanh Ne and Luong Son in Thai Binh Province as a way to express their frustration over toll collection.
According to Deputy Minister of Transport Nguyen Nhat, his ministry is coming up with a plan to solve problems with BOT road toll stations nationwide.
According to drivers, the fees of VND35,000-180,000 (USD1.50-8.18) each time for a 12-km road with just two lanes is too high. Meanwhile, the fees for vehicles of from seven seats and lower is just VND40,000 on Trung Luong-HCM City Highway which is up to 50km and has four lanes.
Many drivers are putting small notes into bottles when they pay toll fees at Cai Lay BOT toll station to protest at excessive fees
Drivers also oppose the location where the toll station is built. The station is aimed to collect fees from vehicles which go into the 12-km road leading to Cai Lay Town. However, it is situated on National Highway 1 which bizarrely means even vehicles not using the 12-km road also have to pay the fees.
The protest has slowed payment at the toll gates.
To avoid the fees payment, many vehicles, including overloaded ones, try to use other routes, disturbing other neighbourhoods.
National Highway 1 Tien Giang Investment Co Ltd, the toll station owner has had the temerity to ask the provincial police to fine drivers who use legal tender small notes for the fees and unsurprisingly have not considered cutting their fees.
The toll station investor explained that besides spending VND1 trillion (USD45.4 million) to build the 12-km road to Cai Lay Town, they also invested VND300 billion (USD13.6 million) to upgrade 26.5 kilometres of National Highway 1. This is why the toll station is located on the national highway, a move approved by the provincial people’s committee, ministries of transport and finance.
Tran Van Bon, director of Tien Giang Province’s Department of Transport said that the fee charged by Cai Lay BOT toll station is quite high compared to Trung Luong-HCM City Highway. He said that the fees should be reduced to VND25,000.
He added that he will consult the provincial authorities about the problem so that they could make proposals to the Ministry of Transport.
Earlier, some truck drivers also used small change to pay toll fees at tollgates or parked their vehicles at the toll stations, including Ben Thuy in Nghe An Province, Tam Nong in Phu Tho Province, Thanh Ne and Luong Son in Thai Binh Province as a way to express their frustration over toll collection.
According to Deputy Minister of Transport Nguyen Nhat, his ministry is coming up with a plan to solve problems with BOT road toll stations nationwide.
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