Collecting cashless fees to build smart cities
According to Mr. Dang Tran Chien - Deputy Director of Digital Traffic Joint Stock Company, currently more than 98% of cars in Vietnam have non-stop toll cards. This is considered a prerequisite to promote the implementation of smart payment solutions in urban transportation.
According to Mr. Chien, when electronic payments have become popular in fields such as telecommunications, electricity, water, etc., there is no reason for the urban transportation system to fall behind. Therefore, there should be synchronous solutions such as: Integrating a parking search and booking system, parking time management, automatic reminders, customer support channels and a transparent management reporting system.
A representative of VETC Company informed that the non-stop toll collection system at the parking lot will meet the "2 no - 1 yes" criteria: No cash, no stopping and having electronic invoices directly connected to the tax authority, and being ready to integrate into the ITS ecosystem of smart cities.
According to Mr. Le Thanh Tung - Director of the Information Technology Center (Ministry of Construction), the Ministry is building a comprehensive model and ITS system architecture for the expressway network, expected to be completed in 2025, coinciding with the time of putting the North - South expressway into operation. The Ministry will also complete technical standards and synchronous regulations to connect urban transportation systems, belt transportation and expressway systems, towards forming a national ITS network.
According to Deputy Minister of Construction Le Anh Tuan, technological advances, along with the participation of management agencies, businesses and people, are opening up great opportunities to build a smart, modern transportation system, meeting the sustainable development needs of urban areas. Collecting tolls without stopping at parking lots is not only a trend but also an urgent solution, putting people at the center of all policies.
"The Ministry of Construction will continue to accompany ministries, branches, localities and enterprises to remove difficulties, complete the legal corridor, promote digital transformation in the fields of urban infrastructure and transportation" - Deputy Minister Le Anh Tuan affirmed.
90% of Hanoi parking lots still use cash
Collecting non-stop fees at parking lots not only saves people's time but also increases transparency in revenue management.
Since 2015, the Ministry of Transport (now the Ministry of Construction) has deployed a non-stop electronic toll collection system at 163 toll stations, with more than 6.7 million vehicles having their cards. To ensure consistency across the entire transport system, the Ministry of Construction is directing competent authorities to build a smart transport system connected to the urban transport management and operation network.
Recently, a number of provinces and cities have implemented smart urban components, including transportation. However, the implementation is still local, not connected to the belt and gate traffic monitoring system, leading to the effectiveness not being as expected.
Hanoi is the first locality to pilot non-stop toll collection at parking lots.
According to Mr. Nguyen Duc Vinh - Deputy Director of Hanoi Parking lot Exploitation Company Limited, after the pilot of collecting non-stop fees at some parking lots since April 2024, the enterprise has controlled revenue well, helping people save time and make ticket prices transparent.
However, the implementation process still faces many difficulties such as system errors, unstable license plate scanning equipment and personnel needing additional training to master the technology.
Meanwhile, throughout the city, more than 90% of transactions at parking lots in apartments and shopping malls still use cash. This situation not only increases operating costs but also causes congestion, lack of transparency in payment and difficulties in inspection and revenue statistics.
