The proposal includes a roadmap for restricting private vehicles.

On the morning of November 24th, the National Assembly discussed the draft Road Law in the plenary session. Participating in the discussion, Deputy Tran Thi Thu Hang (from Dak Nong province) proposed adding a provision prioritizing the development of public passenger transport in conjunction with a plan to restrict private vehicles in major cities to reduce traffic congestion and contribute to environmental protection.

Representative Nguyen Hai Dung (from Nam Dinh province) suggested that the policy prioritizing the development of public passenger transport by bus needs to be reviewed. He argued that in the future, not only buses but also other modes of transport will be needed to reduce traffic congestion. "If buses are prioritized, traffic congestion in large cities will still persist, as buses will have to share the road with private cars and motorbikes," Mr. Dung said, proposing that the priority policy should be balanced with elevated trains and subways to hopefully reduce urban traffic congestion.

Representative Dũng also expressed concern that regulations regarding school buses are being applied in both the Road Law and the Law on Road Traffic Safety and Order. "A single school bus is regulated by two laws; in practice, this will be troublesome and difficult for transportation businesses, schools, and enforcement agencies. Therefore, the regulation on the seniority of school bus drivers should be included in the Law on Road Traffic Safety and Order," Representative Dũng stated.

In addition, at the discussion, Minister of Transport Nguyen Van Thang affirmed the necessity of collecting tolls on state-invested expressways. The toll collection will be based on the principle that those using higher-quality services will pay higher fees, and will have the right to choose alternative routes. Countries like China, Japan, and the United States have already implemented this system. "Currently, toll collection per vehicle only covers 35-40% of maintenance needs. Therefore, if the expressway system is built, completed, and put into operation without collecting tolls, it will be difficult to secure a huge amount of funding for maintenance," Mr. Thang said.

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