HN proposes to halt road maintenance fee collection HN proposes to halt road maintenance fee collection Ha Noi's transport department has suggested to the capital's People's Committee that the collection of the annual road maintenance fee from motorbike owners should halt from next year.   Motorbike drivers travel in a street of Ha Noi. - Photo zing.vn A transport department report says nearly VND100 billion (US$4.4 million) has been collected from motorbike owners in annual road maintenance fees since 2013. However, the report said the collections fell in 2013, 2014 and in the first six months of 2015, amounting to VND55 billion ($2.4 million), VND36 billion ($1.6 million) and just VND3.6 billion ($160,000), respectively. Director of the transport department Vu Van Vien said no specific deterrent measures for people who neglected to pay the fee were blamed for the drop in collections. There were no regulations as to who would inspect and penalise violators and manage the money collected, he said. Thus, the department asked the capital's People's Committee to temporarily suspend the fee collection till the transport and finance ministries fixed the problem, he said. At present, the tax is VND50,000 (US$2.2) per year for motorbikes of less than 100cc and VND100,000 ($4.4) for motorbikes of 100cc and above. There are more than four million motorbikes in the city. In a related move, the finance ministry said the government should temporarily suspend the collection of the annual road maintenance fee from motorbike owners from January 1, 2016. The proposal came after the fee collection process faced several difficulties nationwide, the ministry said. Fewer traffic jams bother HCM City The number of traffic jams of more than 30 minutes in HCM City has fallen except in peak hours, festivals and city's gates, the deputy head of the municipal Traffic Safety Committee has said. "The number of traffic accidents and motorbike races at night has fallen but serious accidents related to containers and trucks are causing concern," Nguyen Ngoc Tuong was quoted as saying in the Sai Gon Giai Phong (Liberated Sai Gon) newspaper. By the end of 2014, nine sites accounted for the highest number of accidents. The municipal Transport Department in co-operation with Traffic Police and local authorities have increased patrols and given severe fines. They have also promoted awareness among local residents, and solved technical problems. While traffic jams no longer exist at the nine sites, two new sites in District 9 now have traffic congestion. The city plans to invest in transport solutions to solve the problem at the two sites. From now to the end of this year, the municipal Traffic Safety Committee will promote education about traffic safety through the media. The Committee will also work closely with authorities to tighten traffic management and control vehicle weight. "We will broadcast commercials and adverts about driving in the correct lane, and the importance of quality helmets. A new programme on drunk driving will also begin," Tuong added. Traffic patrols will also increase in certain areas. "Co-operation to ensure traffic safety will be enhanced among city departments, including healthcare, education and vocational training, science and technology as well as authorities in 24 districts," he said. VNS