The Draft Circular stipulates the criteria for establishing road toll stations as follows:
- The station must be approved by the competent authority in the feasibility study report of the investment project or in the proposal for the exploitation of road infrastructure assets.
- It must implement an electronic toll collection system with no stops and use advanced and modern road toll technology. If another method is used, it must be authorized by the competent authority.
- In cases where the toll station is used to recover costs for a public-private partnership project, it must ensure the investment efficiency of the project.
- The location of the toll station must be publicly disclosed through central and local media and at the district and commune People's Committees where the toll station is located, from the time of approval by the competent authority as per regulations.
Design, Investment, Construction, and Upgrading of Road Toll Stations
According to the draft, road toll stations must be designed, invested in, constructed, renovated, and upgraded according to technical standards and regulations on road toll stations, as well as other relevant legal provisions. The preparation, appraisal, and approval of project items involving road toll stations; and the preparation, appraisal, and approval of design and cost estimates for subsequent stages after the basic design must comply with current legal regulations.
For new investment projects:
In the case of public-private partnership investment projects, the toll station infrastructure, including the software system and equipment installed at the toll station that directly interacts with vehicles passing through (Front-End system), must be completed before the project becomes operational.
For other investment projects, if the competent authority approves the principle of toll collection, the toll station infrastructure must be completed as part of the project before it becomes operational. The management unit must propose the investment method (self-investment or selecting a service provider to handle toll payments and allowing the service provider to invest in the Front-End system).
