From May 1, vehicles passing through the Hai Van Tunnel connecting Danang City and Thua Thien Hue Province had to pay an additional VND30,000-70,000 (USD1.3-3.04) per journey. The highest rise is up to 77%.
Vehicles with less than 12 seats, trucks of below two tonnes and buses are charged VND110,000 per trip, while those of 12 to 30 seats and trucks of two to four tonnes have to pay VND160,000 per trip.
Many drivers have chosen to avoid travelling through the Hai Van Tunnel following its recent toll fee rise.
Trucks of over 18 tonnes and 40-feet container trucks will be levied the highest fee of VND280,000.
Over the past few days, more drivers of different kinds of vehicles, particularly cars of 5-7 seats, have returned to using the Hai Van Mountain Pass so as to avoid the fees.
A freight haulier on the Danang-Thua Thien-Hue route, said that the higher toll fees at Hai Van Tunnel during the Covid-19 pandemic had posed more difficulties for him and his colleagues.
He said he earns a modest profit per trip, so when going through the tunnel, he had to pay a quite high toll fee. He and many others instead used the Hai Van Pass to save costs even if the route is longer.
An owner of a five-seat car said that he has to pay up to VND220,000 for a return trip to travel through Hai Van Tunnel.
Earlier, following the announcement of Deo Ca Investment JSC, the investor of the Hai Van Tunnel project about the toll fee hike from May 1, authorities of Thua Thien-Hue Province sought the Ministry of Transport’s consideration to delay the hike until June 1.
Under the provincial people’s committee proposal, the delay is aimed to help drivers during the pandemic.
However, the province has not yet received the Ministry of Transport’s feedback.
A representative from the Thua Thien-Hue People’s Committee said that neither the project investor nor the Ministry of Transport asked the provincial authorities’ opinion about the toll fee hike.
