Hanoi proposes downtown toll collection starting 2024

By Vo Hai October 18, 2022 | 01:18 am PT

Vehicles are stuck in a traffic jam on Hanoi's Nguyen Trai Street in August 2022. Photo by VnExpress/Ngoc Thanh

The Hanoi Public Transport Management Center has proposed collecting tolls from vehicles entering downtown areas starting 2024, with 15 toll booths on nine routes with high traffic density.

In a report sent to the Department of Transport, the center divided the project into three phases. During the first phase, toll booths would be situated at nine locations on routes with high traffic density leading to downtown areas. The trial would go on until Nov. 30, 2025, when its results would be evaluated to prepare for the second and third phase.

During the second phase, from 2026 to 2030, areas where tolls are required would be expanded to include the southern side of the Red River. The expanded area where tolls are applicable would see Ring Road 3-Thanh Tri Bridge-Phap Van-Mai Dich-Pham Van Dong-Thang Long Bridge-Au Co-Nghi Tam-Yen Phu-Tran Nhat Duat-Ring Road 3 as boundaries.

During the third phase (after 2031), the areas where tolls are required would be expanded to include the northern side of the Red River. The new area would see Nguyen Van Linh-Truong Sa-Hoang Sa-Vo Van Kiet-Thang Long Bridge-Au Co-Nghi Tam-Yen Phu-Tran Nhat Duat-Ring Road 3 as boundaries.

Toll fee locations planned for the first phase in 2024-2025 (red), locations added in the second phase in 2026-2030 (blue), and in the third phase from 2031 (yellow). Graphics by VnExpress/Tien Thanh

Hanoi toll fee locations planned for the first phase in 2024-2025 (red), locations added in the second phase in 2026-2030 (blue), and in the third phase from 2031 (yellow). Graphics by VnExpress/Tien Thanh

The center said the tolls collected would stem from car owners who enter areas vulnerable to congestion during specific time frames.

"Regarding interests, everyone on the road and all of society would stand to gain, thanks to time being saved during transportation through the roads being less congested," the center said.

It added an acceptable toll would be around VND22,300 (91 U.S. cents), citing sociological surveys. With such a toll, 55% of vehicle owners would be willing to use cars for faster travel, while the rest would switch to other vehicles, which would either pay less or be exempt from the tolls.

Online surveys on the project, with over 1,000 respondents as of Oct. 10, revealed that 40% supported toll collection, 33% would support it given certain conditions, and 27% opposed it.

The center said it would continue to gather opinions from authorities from Oct. 24 to Nov. 15, before finishing reports to send to the Hanoi People's Committee for a decision on Dec. 15.

Hanoi currently has over 7.6 million vehicles, including over a million cars, around 6.5 million motorbikes and around 180,000 electric bikes. These figures have not included vehicles held by armed forces, diplomatic vehicles, vehicles with international plates and those from other localities.