The proposal was submitted for approval to the Ministry of Construction and outlines the plan to monetize road infrastructure assets on five specific expressways.

Among them, four routes - Mai Son  -  National Highway 45, National Highway 45  -  Nghi Son, Nghi Son  -  Dien Chau, and Vinh Hao  -  Phan Thiet - have not yet fully met the technical requirements stipulated by the Road Law.

As such, the suggested toll for these routes is the lowest rate of 900 VND/km (approx. $0.035/km) for vehicles under 12 seats and trucks under 2 tons.

The Phan Thiet  -  Dau Giay expressway, which satisfies all criteria for toll collection (four - lane road with continuous emergency stopping lanes), is proposed to have a minimum toll rate of 1,300 VND/km (approx. $0.051/km).

It is estimated that toll collection on these five expressways, after deducting operating costs, would contribute approximately 1.7 trillion VND ($68.3 million) to the state budget annually.

Regarding the tolling duration, the Vietnam Road Administration noted that the depreciation period for general operation equipment and office machinery ranges from 5 to 8 years.

Based on this, a tolling period of 7 years is proposed. Upon completion of one equipment lifecycle, the tolling policy will be reassessed, and alternative exploitation methods may be considered if appropriate.

Currently, Vietnam has 12 state - owned and directly managed expressways under the Ministry of Construction. Besides the five expressways mentioned, there are seven more that have yet to meet tolling conditions, including Hanoi  -  Thai Nguyen, Lao Cai  -  Kim Thanh, Cao Bo  -  Mai Son, Cam Lo  -  La Son, La Son  -  Tuy Loan, and Ho Chi Minh City  -  Trung Luong.

The Vietnam Road Administration stated that feasibility studies will be conducted to develop tolling plans for these additional expressways in later phases.

N. Huyen