HCMC – There is no prevailing regulation requiring vehicles to have an electronic toll collection (ETC) tag upon registration or periodical inspection, according to Vietnam Register under the Ministry of Transport.
Following a recent request from the Ministry of Transport to coerce drivers to have ETC tags stuck to their vehicles, Vietnam Register would examine the impact of the regulation and seek feedback from localities and experts to suggest a solution.
The ministry had earlier urged Vietnam Register to require all vehicles to obtain ETC stickers upon registration or inspection.
The plan has sparked controversy as electronic toll payment is a service offered by a business.
Registration is about checking and assessing whether vehicles meet safety requirements.
Certain vehicles only operate within provinces and cities and do not use toll roads, so they should not be required to obtain an ETC sticker.
Deputy Minister of Transport Le Dinh Tho said the ministry proposed the Government enact regulations enabling the long-term operation of the ETC systems, including specific requirements relating to procedures, standards, and obligations of stakeholders.
Some 3.6 million automobiles have got ETC tags, according to data from two ETC service providers, the Vietnam Digital Transport JSC and the VETC Electronic Toll Collection Company.
About 400,000 vehicles have yet to have an ETC tag. VETC and VDTC, the two ETC service providers, are planning to finish distributing ETC stickers to these vehicles by the end of December.
