Many shortcomings in service quality
On the morning of December 24, Construction Newspaper organized a seminar on "Is it necessary to regulate the quality of expressway rest stop service?".
According to the delegates, in the past, many rest stops have been put into operation but have revealed many shortcomings in service quality. Sanitation is not guaranteed while still collecting tolls. High service prices make passengers dissatisfied.
Some stations lack proper resting space for long-distance drivers, reducing the role of supporting traffic safety of this important infrastructure item.
According to the direction of the Government and the Ministry of Construction, the public service items at the rest stop on the North - South expressway in the East must be completed by the end of 2025; all items will be completed in the first quarter of 2026 to synchronize with the expressways put into operation.
This is also an important condition for implementing toll collection on expressways invested by the State according to the 2024 Road Law and Decree 130.2024.
In fact, many rest stops have been operating on expressways such as Noi Bai - Lao Cai, Phap Van - Cau Gie, Ho Chi Minh City - Long Thanh - Dau Giay, Ho Chi Minh City - Trung Luong. These stations basically meet the needs of rest and fuel for traffic participants.
However, according to the reflection at the seminar, many stations still have poor hygiene, still collect toilet fees, high prices of goods, and do not fully list prices.
Notably, many stations have almost no areas to introduce and promote local cultural identity, instead mainly serving simple food.
Explaining the reason, Ms. Phan Thi Thu Hien - Deputy Director of the Vietnam Road Administration - said that the legal corridor for investment, construction and exploitation of rest stops is now relatively complete.
Since 2024, the Ministry of Transport, formerly the Ministry of Construction, has issued Circular No. 16 dated May 30, 2024 on selecting investors and bidding for rest stops.
Next is Circular No. 58.2024 regulating the location and scale of rest stops. Circular No. 56.2024 issued on November 15, 2024 has specifically regulated the standards for rest stops, including adding mandatory items for expressways such as fuel stations and stations serving emergency and rescue work for vehicles.
According to Ms. Hien, the ineffective operation of some stations is not entirely due to lack of standards. As a pilot project, the first rest stops sponsored by JICA Japan have completed the task of paving the way for the rest stop model in Vietnam since 2009.
However, when the traffic route changes, the traffic volume and passengers entering the station also change, directly affecting the efficiency of the operation.
More importantly, the same standard site, with stations operating well, with stations not meeting requirements, shows that the decisive factor lies in the implementation and exploitation of investors.
Quickly overcome the situation of "no one cries in the same family"
From the perspective of a transport business, Mr. Do Van Bang - Director of Minh Thanh Phat Trading and Service Limited Liability Company - said that the situation reflected in the seminar is true to the experience of drivers.
However, the responsibility for service quality cannot be placed only on state management agencies. This is the responsibility of the entire process, from granting construction permits, granting operating permits to management during operation.
The quality of goods is the responsibility of the locality and the market management force. The facilities are the responsibility of the operating unit.
Mr. Bang also pointed out shortcomings in the current management model. Many rest stops were built by the winning investor, then leased to another unit for operation. These units continue to lease each service retail.
The management of many levels leads to a situation of "no one cries in the general household", unstable service quality, convenience prices, and high-priced toilet fees and sales, losing the trust of users.
According to Mr. Dang Van Chung - Vice President of the Vietnam Automobile Transport Association, rest stops are a mandatory item in the infrastructure of expressways. When the road is open to traffic, the rest stop must be put into operation at the same time.
According to Mr. Chung, the current rest stop standards are quite complete, there is no need to separate the highway standards and the rest stop standards.
The core issue is to do the right thing and do it strictly. In reality, many private-invested stations are very well operated, clean and hygienic, and do not charge toilet fees. Meanwhile, some stations managed by the State or state-owned enterprises have not met people's expectations.
From an expert's perspective, opinions at the seminar said that when a series of rest stops on the North - South expressway in the East will be put into operation at the end of this year, professional organization and the unified application of service quality criteria are inevitable requirements.
Rest stops should be viewed as a space for serving people, with drivers and passengers as the center, instead of just a single service business location.
