Expressway operator backs down on toll hikes, cuts fees instead

Vietnam Infrastructure Development and Finance Investment Joint Stock Company (VIDIFI), the operator of the expressway, will now cut tolls by around 10 percent in order to entice more container transports and other heavy vehicles onto the lightly-trafficked road.

The maximum fee for trucks travelling from Hanoi to Dinh Vu port and back will be VND760,000 ($34) from April 1, a cut of VND80,000 ($3.6) from the current tariff . The move follows strong opposition to the proposed increase to tolls announced by the operator last week.

The expressway has few trucks and container transports due to high tolls. Photo: VNExpress

VIDIFI’s representative explained that statistics showed the number of trucks and cargo containers using the expressway was relatively low, and represented only about about seven percent of traffic. It was also only about 15 percent of the number of trucks and containers transports using the No.5 national highway, which is a longer journey but the preferred choice of most drivers.

The tolls for trucks and container transports on the HN-HP expressway is more than two-and-a-half times higher than on the national highway. Based on vehicles traffic, VIDIFI will report the Ministry of Transport on further adjustment of tariffs by the end of 2016.