Nearly 200 km of highway lacks toilets

There are no rest stops on the nearly 200 km stretch of highway, so drivers on the highway through Dong Nai and Binh Thuan have to use the restroom right on the side of the road, posing a potential safety risk.

On February 16, Mr. Nguyen Van Duc, 58 years old, owner of the free toilet in village 2, Ham Liem commune, Ham Thuan Bac district (Binh Thuan), dismantled the stairs over the fence of Vinh Hao - Phan Thiet highway leading to his land of more than 5,000 square meters. After the project started in May 2023, seeing many people driving cars having to urinate on the side of the road, he expanded his family's toilet area next to the highway, installed a ladder for guests to enter and use for free.

C\u1ea7u thang \u0111\u1ec3 ng\u01b0\u1eddi \u0111i \u0111\u01b0\u1eddng b\u0103ng qua cao t\u1ed1c \u0111i v\u1ec7 sinh c\u1ee7a \u00f4ng Nguy\u1ec5n V\u0103n \u0110\u1ee9c \u0111\u00e3 \u0111\u01b0\u1ee3c th\u00e1o d\u1ee1, ng\u00e0y 16\/2. \u1ea2nh: T\u01b0 Huynh<\/em><\/p>"">

"Because it violated regulations and caused safety problems, the local authorities requested that the stairs be moved inside," Mr. Duc said, adding that after the stairs were removed, many people still stopped their cars to ask to use the restroom because the hundreds of kilometers long highway did not have any rest stops.

Mr. Le Quang Khoi, a truck driver transporting goods on the Ho Chi Minh City – Khanh Hoa route, said that the lack of stops on the long route from Dau Giay to Vinh Hao is very inconvenient for drivers. Because driving from Ho Chi Minh City to Binh Thuan, the driver is already tired and needs a place to eat, drink, use the restroom, and rest to regain strength to continue.

The highway from Dau Giay to Vinh Hao is nearly 200 km long and has no stops. Graphics: Khanh Hoang

Inaugurated in mid-2023, the two expressways Dau Giay - Phan Thiet and Phan Thiet - Vinh Hao with a total length of nearly 200 km will help vehicles travel conveniently, shortening the time from Ho Chi Minh City, Dong Nai to Binh Thuan. However, after nearly 10 months of operation, the above route has no rest stops, causing difficulties for drivers and passengers.

Mr. Tran Ngoc Hien, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Ham Thuan Bac district, said that after stopping the operation of the "illegible" toilet in the area, the locality proposed an immediate solution for the Vinh Hao - Phan Thiet Expressway Project Management Board to install a signboard in front of the Ma Lam intersection (about 10 km from the toilet that just stopped operating). This will help drivers who need to turn to Highway 28 to rest, eat, use the toilet or refuel.

"Near the Ma Lam intersection on Highway 28, there are gas stations, restaurants, and large parking lots, ensuring safety for vehicles. After resting, the driver returns to the access road, enters the highway, and continues the journey," said Mr. Hien.

A driver pulled over to the emergency strip of the Vinh Hao - Phan Thiet highway, passing through Ham Thuan Bac district, to clean up at noon on February 16. Photo: Tu Huynh

However, the long-term solution is still to build rest stops on the highway. Previously, the Ministry of Transport planned three rest stops on the route, all located in Binh Thuan province (Ham Tan, Ham Thuan Bac, Tuy Phong). Each station is 5 hectares wide, with full services of gasoline, food, rest, shopping, entertainment, arranged on both sides of the road to serve vehicles running in both directions north and south.

Mr. Nguyen Quoc Huy, Director of the Vinh Hao - Phan Thiet Expressway Project Management Board, said that so far the Vietnam Expressway Administration has preliminarily selected qualified investors to win the bid to construct rest stops on this section, expected to start construction in the second quarter of this year. "If the site is handed over by the locality soon, the stations will be deployed on schedule," said Mr. Huy.

Driver "pees" on the highway because there is no toilet

Cars stopped at the emergency strip for people to get out to use the restroom on the Vinh Hao - Phan Thiet highway through Ham Thuan Bac district, February 16. Video: Tu Huynh

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

In addition to the route from Dau Giay to Vinh Hao, there are also some expressway sections that have been opened or are about to be opened, but do not have rest stops. A representative of the Ministry of Transport said that the reason is that the previous legal regulations on investment and business of rest stops were not complete, so the investment in stations in the form of socialization encountered many difficulties, and it was not possible to operate synchronously with some expressway sections.

Tu Huynh

Source link