Ministry of Transport: There are 17 BOT stations nationwide that are inappropriate and in the wrong location.

In an official dispatch responding to a petition from Hanoi voters requesting "clarification of the situation of BOT stations located throughout provinces and cities, many of which are located very close to each other, causing public discontent", the Ministry of Transport said that it has conducted a comprehensive review of BOT toll stations.

Currently, there are 88 toll stations nationwide, of which the Ministry of Transport manages 73 stations, and the People's Committees of provinces and cities manage 15 stations.

The Bac Thang Long - Noi Bai BOT station is located outside the project scope but is still recommended to be retained.

Of these 73 stations, 17 BOT toll stations have problems with location, distance, service fee levels...

17 stations have inappropriate locations, such as: North Thang Long - Noi Bai Toll Station (Hanoi); South Cau Gie (Ha Nam); Ben Thuy (Nghe An); Quan Hau (Quang Binh); Trang Bom (Dong Nai); Soc Trang City (Soc Trang); Cai Lay (Tien Giang); National Highway 6 Hoa Binh; National Highway 3 Thai Nguyen...

Based on the review results, on April 13, 2018, the Ministry of Transport reported to the Prime Minister solutions to handle 17 toll stations with problems.

On April 23, 2018, the Government Standing Committee held a meeting to consider solutions to handle inappropriate toll stations. The Prime Minister concluded that he "basically agreed with the solutions proposed by the Ministry of Transport".

Currently, the Ministry of Transport has directed agencies to coordinate with investors, work and reach agreement with the Provincial Party Committee, the National Assembly Delegation, and the People's Committees of relevant provinces to calculate and select appropriate solutions for each station, ensuring harmony of interests between people, the State and enterprises, and ensuring the financial efficiency of the project.

The Ministry of Transport will report to the Prime Minister for consideration and approval as a basis for implementation.

The Ministry of Transport added that the demand for investment capital to develop transport infrastructure to meet the requirements of socio-economic development is very large. In the context of difficult state budget capital, investing in transport infrastructure under the form of BOT contracts is a correct policy to mobilize social resources for transport infrastructure development.

Many BOT traffic projects, after being completed and put into operation, have clearly demonstrated investment efficiency, received consensus from localities and users, and met the socio-economic development needs of localities as well as the country.