Strangely, two BOT projects have duplicate toll stations.

A rare incident that happened to the BOT model of the transport industry has just been revealed: The BOT project of Phuoc Tuong - Phu Gia road tunnel (Thua Thien - Hue) and the BOT project through Hai Van tunnel have overlapping toll stations, stepping on each other's toes.

In recent days, public opinion has heated up with the conclusion of the Government Inspectorate regarding the Phuoc Tuong - Phu Gia BOT road tunnel project (abbreviated as BOT Phu Gia - Phuoc Tuong, located in the south of Thua Thien - Hue province).

The most interesting content pointed out by the Government Inspectorate: Instead of placing the toll station at the Phu Gia tunnel entrance and Phuoc Tuong tunnel according to the original contract, in 2014, the Ministry of Transport allowed the station to be moved outside the project, about 10 km south of the tunnel entrance, right in front of the northern entrance of Hai Van tunnel (the border between Thua Thien Hue and Da Nang).

This caused the project's revenue to increase dramatically compared to the financial plan. Investors had abundant income but tightened the choices and wallets of traffic participants.

Phuoc Tuong - Phu Gia BOT toll station (Thua Thien - Hue).

Accordingly, drivers, whether they go through the Phu Gia - Phuoc Tuong tunnel or not (small cars can easily travel through the two passes where this tunnel project is implemented), must stop to pay at the toll station at the northern gate of the Hai Van Tunnel. People in the localities surrounding the station (especially Lang Co Town, Chan May - Lang Co Economic Zone in Phu Loc District) must pay at this toll station even if they do not go through the Phu Gia - Phuoc Tuong tunnel.

In the audit report issued in June 2016 on the Phuoc Tuong - Phu Gia BOT project, the State Audit also concluded: Placing the toll station at the North of Hai Van tunnel on National Highway 1A leaves traffic participants with no choice. Placing the station at the project also causes people around the station to pay fees even if they do not use the project's tunnel. After that, the State Audit also requested the Ministry of Transport to soon plan the toll station and place the Phu Gia - Phuoc Tuong project toll station in accordance with regulations.

While this proposal is dragging on and has no way out, a more difficult problem has recently been revealed: The BOT project to build the second Hai Van tunnel (with maintenance and operation of Hai Van tunnel 1, resurfacing of National Highway 1A through Hai Van pass) is also located south of Hai Van tunnel, 11 km from the Phuoc Tuong - Phu Gia BOT stations.

According to the BOT contract for the Hai Van Tunnel expansion project, the investor (Deo Ca Investment Joint Stock Company) is allowed to collect fees at the south of Hai Van Tunnel from January 1, 2017 to start having capital to repair and operate Tunnel 1 and construct Tunnel 2 (which has been under construction since 2016). However, this investor does not dare to make a move because drivers cannot accept the fact that they are about to enter the tunnel to pay, and then have to take out their wallets as soon as they come out of the tunnel.

Location map of toll stations and works of Phuoc Tuong - Phu Gia BOT and Hai Van tunnel BOT.

However, after more than 1 year of construction with an amount of money spent about 150 billion VND to repair the old tunnel and build a new one, but being "intercepted" by BOT Phu Gia - Phuoc Tuong to collect fees, Deo Ca Company was forced to speak up and request the Ministry of Transport to handle this "fishing for food" issue.

Mr. Vo Hoang Anh, Head of Quality Management and Development Research of Transport Design Consulting Corporation (Tedi) said: Placing the toll station of the Phu Gia Phuoc Tuong project north of the Hai Van tunnel leaves drivers and vehicle owners with no choice, they still have to pay the fee even if they do not use the tunnel. "Phu Gia and Phuoc Tuong passes are not too high, small cars can still travel on National Highway 1, without using the tunnel. But because the toll collection project is at the Hai Van tunnel entrance, whether they go through the Phu Gia - Phuoc Tuong tunnel or not, drivers and vehicle owners have to pay the fee" - Mr. Hoang Anh said.

Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Canh, former General Director of Project Management Board 85, former Director of Hai Van Tunnel project, also said that the Phuoc Tuong - Phu Gia BOT project to place the toll station at Hai Van tunnel is incorrect and unreasonable. "Cars and small passenger vans can still go through Phu Gia - Phuoc Tuong pass easily; only heavy trucks and large passenger vans really need to go through the tunnel. Having a tunnel is good, but it should be fair, so that people have a choice" - Mr. Canh said. According to Mr. Canh, only the option of "chasing" the Phu Gia - Phuoc Tuong toll station to the right location of the project can ensure fairness.

To solve this dilemma, the Ministry of Transport has also proposed solutions several times. Specifically, on January 17, 2017, the Ministry of Transport issued Notice No. 20/TB-BGTVT requesting the Ministry's Public-Private Partnership Department to report to the Minister and the Ministry of Transport's Personnel Committee on the toll collection plan for the two projects, including the plan to move the toll station of one project to the tunnel entrance of that project.

However, since then, there has been no consensus on how to handle the issue. In the announcement of the conclusion last June, Deputy Minister of Transport Le Dinh Tho was forced to issue an ultimatum to the specialized agencies of the Ministry of Transport and the investors of the two projects to find a reasonable solution; otherwise, they must report to the Prime Minister for thorough handling.

According to Tien Phong Newspaper