In early February 2024, the Vietnam Expressway Corporation (VEC) decided to increase the toll fee on the Noi Bai - Lao Cai Expressway by 12%. Previously, this unit had repaired some damaged locations on the route.
However, the quality of the majority of the road surface of the largest and longest expressway in Vietnam, invested by VEC, is still very poor. This makes many drivers worried and feel that it is not worth the toll they are paying.
According to the reporter's records on November 11, traffic on the Noi Bai - Lao Cai highway was quite crowded. However, the speed of the vehicles was not as designed.
For example, the Hanoi - Yen Bai section (IC12 intersection) has a maximum speed of 100 km/h, but in reality, vehicles can only go about 80 km/h. For the Yen Bai - Lao Cai section, which is designed with 2 restricted lanes, the average speed is 50 km/h.
Most of the Noi Bai - Lao Cai highway has deteriorated, with cracks and damage. Along the entire route, many locations have been patched and potholes appear after each heavy rain, posing a high risk of traffic safety.
Mr. Nguyen Anh Dung (Bac Giang) said that every time he travels on this highway, he finds the road surface really bad, with many places peeling and rutted. Every time he travels a certain distance, he sees patches everywhere.
"On the evening of November 10, I was driving at 80km/h at Km135 when I encountered a landslide, and both I and my car jumped up. If I didn't have a firm grip on the steering wheel, I would have swerved into the opposite lane, which was very dangerous," said Mr. Dung.
For long-time drivers, the deterioration of the Noi Bai - Lao Cai highway is all too familiar. Mr. Hoang Tuyen - driving on the Bac Ninh - Lao Cai route shared: "I have been driving on this road for more than 5 years, so I know which sections are bad, I proactively slow down to avoid them, but I don't know if there are new potholes."
According to Mr. Tuyen, last year many parts of the road were repaired, but there were still many very bad sections. If the tolls increase but the road is still bad and unsafe, it needs to be reconsidered.
Previously, the Vietnam Road Administration requested VEC to urgently repair damaged sections to ensure traffic safety. If the investor is slow to implement, toll collection will be stopped.
According to Mr. Doan Minh Tam - former Director of the Institute of Science, Technology and Transport, it is necessary to determine that the safety of people participating in traffic is paramount.
"It is called a highway but the quality and speed are not guaranteed like a highway, so it is obvious that it cannot be charged as a highway," said Mr. Doan Minh Tam.
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