HCMC – Lam Dong Province has asked the Ministry of Construction to resolve persistent errors in electronic toll collection (ETC) systems after they caused traffic congestion on expressways passing through the province.
The provincial People’s Committee has written to the ministry requesting action to address bottlenecks at ETC toll stations on sections of the eastern North–South Expressway, reported the Vietnam News Agency.
The affected sections include Phan Thiet–Dau Giay and Vinh Hao–Phan Thiet, which run about 148 km through Lam Dong. The routes have been in operation since 2023 and have reduced travel time while supporting local economic activity, the committee reported.
Since toll collections on these sections began on March 2, congestion has occurred near the toll plazas. Initial findings show system errors prevented vehicles from being recorded at entry points, leading to queues. In some cases, operators opened toll gates to ease traffic.
Traffic volumes on these sections are high, especially on weekends and holidays, increasing the risk of disruption.
Lam Dong has urged the ministry to direct the Department for Roads of Vietnam and Road Management Area 4 to review ETC equipment and software, and fix technical glitches.
Earlier in March, Road Management Area 4 asked Project Management Unit 7 to address technical issues with the toll systems on the Vinh Hao–Phan Thiet section.
Reported problems include faulty ETC card readers at Ma Lam and Cho Lau stations, and unstable license plate recognition systems with about 50% accuracy. Authorities also cited blurred images, incomplete vehicle identification, and cameras failing to capture rear vehicles in close traffic.
Some entry lanes failed to read ETC tags, while exit data were not fully recorded. Surveillance footage was also inconsistent, with interruptions affecting data continuity, according to the report.
