According to the ministry, the project of upgrading National Highway 1A road face and building Cai Lay bypass received the approval of Tien Giang province People’s Council, People’s Committee and National Assembly Delegation. The Prime Minister passed investment policy and procedures according to the law.
The ministry had presented two projects of the tollbooth location, one in the highway and the other in the bypass, while getting opinions from relevant sides.
According to project 1, investors build the detour and upgrade the highway. This project ensures capital recovery time and financial efficiency. The highway road face upgrading will reduce traffic jam and accidents in the stretch through Cai Lay town because vehicles will travel in both the highway and the detour.
Project 2 just builds the bypass and collects toll to vehicles in the detour not the highway. However, it can not limit the number of vehicles travelling through Cai Lay town because vehicles will avoid the tollbooth in the bypass.
In addition, if the National Highway was not improved, traffic jam and accident would increase in the stretch through the town. The second project does not ensure investment and financial efficiency and attract investors.
Afterwards, the relevant sides gave written consent about putting the station in the national highway.
Implementing requirements by the PM and deputy PM on reviewing and solving problems in toll prices of BOT projects, the ministry has worked with Tien Giang province and investor National Highway 1A Tien Giang Investment Company, to reduce toll level at Cai Lay station by 30 percent for all vehicles.
Vehicles of types 1 and 2 not trading transport services of those with household books in Phu Thuan, My Thanh Nam, Binh Phu and And Phu communes of Cai Lay district will be exempt from paying the fee. They enjoy 50 percent cut for trading transport services. Buses receive a similar reduction.
Still drivers continued opposing the tollbooth and used small change to pay toll forcing the investor to thrice open the gate for vehicles to travel through free of charge on the first day the station resumed operation. In the end, the station must shut down to wait for the Ministry of Transport to handle the issue.
Mr . Luu Van Hao, deputy chairman of National Highway 1A Tien Giang Investment Company, yesterday said that the toll station temporarily halted operation to wait for opinions from authorized agencies.
The ministry is now working with the Ministry of Public Security, local authorities and relevant agencies to organize toll collection at the station to refund the project, have measures to ensure security, order and traffic safety and strictly handle those taking advantage of the situation to cause public disorder.
