Ministry of Transport explains why highways have no rest stops

Recently, a series of expressways have been completed and put into operation such as Mai Son - National Highway 45, Vinh Hao - Phan Thiet, Phan Thiet - Dau Giay, Da Nang - Quang Ngai... but there are no rest stops.

Even on the 200km Vinh Hao - Dau Giay expressway, there are no rest stops. This causes inconvenience and frustration for drivers and passengers.

Regarding this issue, on July 18, the Vietnam Expressway Administration (Ministry of Transport) said that according to the provisions of the 2008 Road Traffic Law, rest stops are a part of road infrastructure, a service facility supporting road transport.

According to Highway Design Standards (TCVN 5729:2012), on average every 50 - 60km there should be a rest stop providing basic services such as gasoline, oil, minor repairs and stopping, with motels, toilets, restaurants...

In addition to serving people and vehicles participating in traffic, rest stops are places where services can be provided. Therefore, rest stops are oriented by competent authorities to be invested in the form of socialization to save the state budget.

Rest stop on Hanoi-Hai Phong highway has full services to serve people (illustrative photo)

“However, due to the fact that the previous legal regulations on investment, business and exploitation of rest stops were not complete and clear, the implementation of investment in rest stops in the form of socialization encountered many difficulties and obstacles, and could not ensure synchronous exploitation and serve the needs of the people for some newly completed and put into operation sections,” the Vietnam Expressway Administration explained.

According to statistics, up to now, only 7/41 rest stops planned in the feasibility study report of component projects on the Eastern North-South Expressway have been put into operation.

Including 2 stations on the Bac Giang - Hanoi highway, 1 station on the Cau Gie - Ninh Binh section, 1 station on the Cao Bo - Mai Son section, 1 station on the La Son - Hoa Lien highway, 1 station on the Ho Chi Minh City - Long Thanh - Dau Giay highway, 1 station on the Ben Luc - Trung Luong highway.

“Identifying current shortcomings, sharing the difficulties and inconveniences of people, removing difficulties and obstacles in investing in rest stops in the form of socialization, from the beginning of 2023, the Ministry of Transport urgently developed and issued Circular No. 01/2023/TT-BGTVT as a legal basis for competent agencies to carry out procedures for investing in rest stops,” informed the Vietnam Expressway Administration.

The Expressway Department also said that up to now, the advisory agencies have completed the appraisal, submission, and approval of the rest stop network.

Accordingly, on the North-South expressway in the East, 36 stations will be arranged (average distance between stations is about 59 km). Of which, 7 stations have been put into operation and 2 stations are under investment, the remaining 27 stations will select investors for implementation.

Of the 27 stations that have not been invested in, 20/27 stations are planned with a scale of about 5 hectares/side, 7/27 stations near traffic hubs and large urban areas are planned with a scale of about 3 hectares/side, ensuring full service provision, meeting the needs of highway users.

All uninvested rest stops will have their investors selected through open, public, transparent and effective bidding.

“In order to promptly meet the needs of a number of component projects that have been and are preparing to be put into operation, since May 2023, the Ministry of Transport has also approved and assigned the Project Management Boards and consultants to coordinate with localities to implement investment procedures, build project portfolios to call for investment for 8 rest stops of the projects: Mai Son - National Highway 45, Nghi Son - Dien Chau, Dien Chau - Bai Vot, Nha Trang - Cam Lam, Cam Lam - Vinh Hao, Vinh Hao - Phan Thiet and Phan Thiet - Dau Giay.

It is expected that the announcement of the project list will be completed in August 2023. The work of organizing the selection of investors will take about 3 - 5 months.

The estimated time for investors to complete procedures and build the rest stop is about 9-12 months, striving to complete and put into operation as soon as possible," the Expressway Department informed.

With the above progress, it will be at least until the end of 2024 that the 8 rest stops of the above projects will be put into operation and use.

According to Vietnamnet