Why has the toll collection stopped but the BOT station at Dong Nai bridge and National Highway 51 not been removed?

TPO - The project has stopped collecting tolls, but the stations are still blocking two national highways, affecting traffic safety and aesthetics.

TPO - The project has stopped collecting tolls, but the stations are still blocking two national highways, affecting traffic safety and aesthetics.

The BOT project to expand National Highway 51 through the two provinces of Dong Nai and Ba Ria - Vung Tau and the BOT project to build Dong Nai Bridge (Dong Nai province) have been suspended for the past 2-4 years. However, toll stations still exist (3 stations on National Highway 51 and 1 station on National Highway 1), causing obstruction, traffic safety and unsightliness, although localities have repeatedly proposed to handle the problems of these two projects.

Toll station T1 - BOT project of National Highway 51.

According to the contract between the Vietnam Road Administration and the investor of the BOT project to expand National Highway 51, Bien Hoa - Vung Tau Expressway Development Joint Stock Company (BVEC), signed in 2009, the total toll collection period of the BOT project to expand National Highway 51 is 20.66 years. Of which: the toll collection period to recover capital is about 16.66 years (from August 3, 2012 to March 27, 2029). The toll collection period to generate profit is 4 years (from March 28, 2029 to March 28, 2033).

By the end of February 2017, the project's capital recovery fee collection period was adjusted to 20 years, 6 months and 11 days, that is, from July 1, 2009 to January 12, 2030, and 4 years of profit-generating fee collection.

By the end of 2018, due to some changes related to input factors and recommendations from the State Audit, the Vietnam Road Administration recalculated the time to collect tolls to generate profits and reduced the time to generate profits from 4 years to 9 months. From January 13, 2023, the BOT project to invest in expanding National Highway 51 has temporarily stopped collecting tolls.

Since then, the investor has requested to temporarily suspend maintenance work and hand over project assets to the Vietnam Road Administration by the end of January 2023.

On April 19, 2023, BVEC handed over 72.7km, including the road length and the bridge length over 25m in the section from Km0+900 - Km73+600 of National Highway 51 to the Vietnam Road Administration. However, the investor has not yet handed over the operator house, toll collection equipment system as well as other assets serving the project.

To ensure continuous management, maintenance and exploitation of transport infrastructure assets, ensure traffic safety, and protect and extend the exploitation period of transport infrastructure assets, the Vietnam Road Administration has received the assets handed over by BVEC to carry out management, maintenance and preservation of assets.

Regarding the shortcomings of this BOT project, the Ministry of Transport has just sent a document to the Ministry of Finance proposing to establish public ownership of the assets of the National Highway 51 expansion project, section Km0+900 - Km73+600 in Dong Nai and Ba Ria - Vung Tau provinces to support competent state agencies to promptly organize and implement the management, maintenance and exploitation of assets according to regulations.

In the document, the Ministry of Transport said that it had received a document from the National Assembly Delegation of Dong Nai province regarding the proposal to invest in repairing road infrastructure in Dong Nai province. It included a proposal for the Ministry of Transport to coordinate with the Ministry of Finance to quickly carry out procedures to establish public ownership of assets of the National Highway 51 expansion project, section Km0+900 - Km73+600 in Dong Nai province and Ba Ria - Vung Tau province under the form of a BOT contract.

Dong Nai Bridge BOT Project.

Dong Nai Bridge BOT project invested by Dong Nai Bridge Investment and Construction Joint Stock Company, built in 2008, includes the following items: Tan Van Interchange, new Dong Nai Bridge, Vung Tau Interchange, upgrading of old Dong Nai Bridge and connecting roads to the Project.

To recover capital for this project, the investor has set up a toll station on National Highway 1A, in Bien Hoa City (Dong Nai). Since the end of August 2020, the Dong Nai Bridge BOT toll station has temporarily stopped collecting tolls.

Regarding the Dong Nai Bridge BOT project, the State Audit recommended reducing the toll collection period from 18 years, 4 months and 10 days as stated in the contract, to 7 years, 8 months and 16 days. The reason for the shortened period was that the investor miscalculated the traffic volume and determined the total investment incorrectly.

The Ministry of Transport has issued a decision to establish public ownership of the Dong Nai Bridge BOT project and assign the Vietnam Road Administration to manage, use and exploit road infrastructure assets according to regulations. The Vietnam Road Administration and Road Management Area 4 manage the Dong Nai Bridge BOT project area.

However, although toll collection has been stopped for more than 4 years, the Dong Nai Bridge BOT toll station has not been dismantled yet. This construction is obstructing traffic, affecting the aesthetics and safety as a number of traffic accidents have occurred.

Manh Thang

Source: https://tienphong.vn/vi-sao-da-dung-thu-phi-nhung-chua-do-tram-bot-cau-dong-nai-quoc-lo-51-post1690303.tpo