Drivers use roadside as 200-km expressway stretches have no restrooms

On Feb. 16, Nguyen Van Duc, 58, owner of a free restroom in Ham Thuan Bac District in Binh Thuan Province in central Vietnam, dismantled a stair over the fence of the expressway that leads into his land of more than 5,000 square meters.

After the expressway opened to traffic in May 2023, seeing that many drivers and passengers had to urinate along roadside, he expanded the family's restroom area next to the expressway and installed a stair for people to enter and use for free.

"Due to violating regulations and causing insecurity, local authorities requested me to dismantle the stairs," Duc said.

A stair leading to Nguyen Van Duc's land for free restroom on Vinh Hao-Phan Thiet expressway section is dismantled on Feb. 16, 2024. Photo by VnExpress/Tu Huynh

After the stairs were removed, many people still stopped their cars to ask for restroom service because the expressways are hundreds of kilometers long but have no rest stops.

Le Quang Khoi, a truck driver carrying goods on the Ho Chi Minh City - Khanh Hoa route, said the lack of rest stops on the long distance was inconvenient.

Driving a long way from HCMC to Binh Thuan, most drivers feel tired and need a rest stop to eat and take a nap.

Inaugurated in mid-2023, the two expressways Dau Giay - Phan Thiet and Phan Thiet - Vinh Hao have a total length of nearly 200 km, helping to shorten the time from HCMC to Binh Thuan, home to the popular resort city Mui Ne and Phu Quy Island.

However, after nearly 10 months of operation, the expressway has no rest stops, causing difficulties for drivers and passengers.

A driver pulls his car into the emergency stop strip on the Vinh Hao - Phan Thiet expressway to urinate on Feb. 16, 2024. Photo by VnExpress/Tu Huynh

Tran Ngoc Hien, vice chairman of Ham Thuan Bac District People's Committee, said that after dismantling illegal restroom in the area, the locality proposed installing a sign in front of Ma Lam intersection, about 10 km from the restroom that was just suspended.

"Near the Ma Lam intersection on Highway 28, there is a gas station, eateries, and a large parking lot, ensuring safety for vehicles to stop," Hien said.

However, the long-term plan is to build rest stops along the expressway sections.

Previously, the Ministry of Transport had planned three stops on the route, all located in Binh Thuan Province.

Each rest stop is 5 hectares large, with full services for gas, dining, rest, shopping, and entertainment, arranged on both sides of the road to serve vehicles traveling both north and south.

 

 

Drivers use roadside as 200-km expressway stretches have no restrooms

Tài xế “tè” bên cao tốc do không có nhà vệ sinh

Nguyen Quoc Huy, director of the Vinh Hao - Phan Thiet expressway project management board, said that up to now, the Vietnam Expressway Authority had selected qualified investors to win the bid to construct rest stops.

Construction is expected to start in the second quarter of this year.

"If land handover is addressed soon, the rest stops will be built on schedule," Huy said.

A standard technical service station capable of supplying petrol and oil, making minor repairs, and stopping cars, with motels, toilets, and restaurants should be located every 50-60 km. Every 120-200 kilometers requires a large service station.