OREANDA-NEWS. Toshiba Corporation, Hitachi, Ltd. and ITOCHU Corporation announced that the three companies have together signed a contract to supply the Vietnam Expressway Corporation (VEC) with an Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) package that includes electronic toll collection (ETC), traffic control and equipment monitoring systems.

The order has an estimated value of 4- billion yen, and is the first for an integrated ITS package that Japanese companies have received from overseas. The project will be supported by Japanese government loan assistance, and commercial operation is planned to start in the first half of 2017.

The ITS package will be installed on the 55-kilometer Ho Chi Minh and Dau Giay section of Vietnam's North-South Expressway. Toshiba will provide ITS equipment, Hitachi is responsible for construction and ITOCHU for related business affairs.

Increasing traffic congestion is a serious side effect of the continuing economic development of southern Vietnam, including Ho Chi Minh City, and projections show road use and congestion in the region continuing to grow.

Installation of the ITS package on the North-South Expressway's Ho Chi Minh and Dau Giay section, one of the most badly affected areas, will help cut traffic jams and improve logistics efficiency. VEC, the project owner, evaluated the technical competence and installation record of companies that tendered for the order, and selected the Japanese companies on the basis of their competitive bid.

The North-South Expressway is currently under construction and will connect Hanoi, Vietnam's capital, with Ho Chi Minh City, via Da Nang in the heart of the country. Once completed, it will be approximately 1,811km long. To meet the country's rapid economic growth, the Vietnamese government in 2008 drew up a master plan for the construction of 22 expressways with a total length of approximately 6,000km, including the North-South Expressway.

Toshiba, Hitachi and ITOCHU will continue to propose ITS systems, including traffic control and ETC systems, and the three companies are committed to contribute to Vietnam's continued economic growth by providing and installing advanced road transportation system.