A series of abandoned toll stations become 'traps' for traffic participants

BOT toll stations on National Highways 1A and 51 through Dong Nai province have stopped operating for many years but have not been dismantled, creating a "trap" with potential traffic accident risks.

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BOT toll stations on National Highway 1A, Dong Nai Bridge and National Highway 51 have been inactive for many years but have not been dismantled, posing a potential risk of traffic accidents for vehicles.

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Dong Nai Bridge BOT (located at Km1872 National Highway 1, Bien Hoa City, Dong Nai) stopped collecting tolls from the end of August 2020 because the State Audit discovered that the investor miscalculated traffic volume, miscalculated investment levels, and collected tolls for nearly 11 years in excess of the time.

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The toll station has been closed for more than 3 years but has not been dismantled yet. The abandoned toll station is like a bunker located right at the gateway to Dong Nai, Binh Duong and Ho Chi Minh City, an area with a very large volume of traffic.

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Similarly, on National Highway 51, there are two BOT toll stations located in Dong Nai (stations T1 and T2) that have stopped collecting tolls since the beginning of 2023. Up to now, after more than a year, the stations are still there, posing a potential risk of traffic accidents.

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Toll Station No. 1, National Highway 51, managed by Bien Hoa - Vung Tau Expressway Development Joint Stock Company, has 12 lanes. After being shut down, the median strips, concrete pillars, old ticket booths, faded paint lines... pose a great risk of traffic accidents.

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Mr. Le Van Thang (a truck driver), who regularly travels on Highway 51, said: "The toll stations do not have maintenance, cleaning, or warning lines, so they are very dangerous. There are many collisions at these "bunker" toll stations."

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Dong Nai Province Traffic Safety Committee said that after toll stations stopped collecting tolls on Highway 51, many locations were severely damaged, with rutted wheel tracks, blurred paint lines, reduced warning effects, and unsafe and inconvenient for people and vehicles to travel.

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According to records, because the toll station is not operating, vehicles travel through the narrow lanes at high speed. The yellow-black warning lines on the concrete pillars are blurred with dust, especially at night.

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Many locations at abandoned toll stations are damaged and dilapidated due to many years of lack of maintenance and cleaning. In the photo is the BOT toll station on National Highway 1A, at the foot of Dong Nai Bridge (Bien Hoa City).

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The cabins at the BOT toll station at the foot of Dong Nai bridge are severely damaged due to long-term inactivity. This is the toll station for the new Dong Nai bridge construction investment project and the two ends of the bridge from Tan Van intersection (Binh Duong) to the end of the Bien Hoa City bypass route under the BOT form.

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The Dong Khoi BOT toll station, part of the Road 768 toll collection project, has also been temporarily suspended. Many people litter the toll station area, causing an unsightly appearance.

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According to Road Management Area IV, the national highways through Dong Nai have 6 toll stations including: BOT station on National Highway 1K, Tan Phu BOT station (National Highway 20), Dong Nai Bridge BOT station (National Highway 1), Trang Bom BOT station (National Highway 1) and two toll stations T1, T2 (National Highway 51). Of which, Trang Bom BOT station is the only station currently collecting tolls.

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Of the 5 BOT stations that have stopped collecting fees, the units have so far dismantled the National Highway 1K BOT station, completed the procedures to establish public ownership of the assets and handed them over to Dong Nai for management. The Tan Phu BOT station on National Highway 20 has been dismantled and there is a document from the Ministry of Finance on establishing public ownership.

The representative of Road Management Area IV said that the reason why the toll stations have not been dismantled is because the procedures on National Highways 51 and 1A have not yet been completed and there is no decision to establish public ownership, so they cannot be dismantled. Currently, Road Management Area IV has not yet determined the time to dismantle the toll stations.