6.3 Million Vehicles Risk Being Blocked at Toll Gates Without Account Conversion

New Regulation on Toll Account Conversion

According to the Government’s Decree No. 119/2024, by October 1, 2025, all vehicle owners must convert their current toll accounts into transport accounts linked to cashless payment methods.

Failure to complete the conversion will prevent vehicles from passing through electronic toll collection (ETC) lanes.

The regulation provides a one-year transition period (from October 1, 2024, to October 1, 2025) for vehicle owners and toll service providers to finalize the conversion.

Why the Change is Necessary

Mr. Tô Nam Toàn, Head of the Department of Science, Technology, Environment, and International Cooperation (Vietnam Road Administration), explained:

Current toll accounts can only be used for road fee payments, do not generate interest, and are difficult to integrate with other payment systems.

Transport companies often have to deposit large sums but cannot use them for other purposes.

The Ministry of Transport (MoT) does not have the authority to manage cash flows, making oversight of toll accounts limited.

Under Decree 119, management responsibilities are clearly separated:

The MoT will manage transport accounts.

Cashless payment methods (e-wallets, bank accounts, credit cards, etc.) will be managed by the State Bank of Vietnam.

Benefits of Converting

The new system offers several advantages:

Greater transparency in toll collection.

More convenience for users when making payments.

Balances in payment accounts will earn interest.

Future integration to pay for additional services such as parking fees, vehicle inspection, fuel purchases, and EV charging.

Currently, toll service providers have already integrated cashless payment options:

ePass connects with Viettel Money, MoMo, Visa, and more.

VETC has its own e-wallet.

The conversion process takes only 5–10 minutes via the service provider’s app.

Risk of Being Blocked at Toll Gates

From October 1, 2025, if a vehicle owner fails to convert their account and connect it to a valid payment method:

The system will treat the vehicle as not having an ETC tag and without a valid account.

The vehicle will not be allowed to pass through ETC lanes.

Vietnam currently has about 6.3 million vehicles using ETC services, but the conversion rate is only around 30%.

The main reason is that many vehicle owners are still unaware of the new regulation. The Vietnam Road Administration has called on toll service providers to step up communication and support to help vehicle owners complete the process promptly.