Rescue Costs on Highways: What Do They Include?

Rescue costs on highways include what content (illustration)

Circular 08/2015/TT-BGTVT stipulates that rescue costs on highways include the following:

- Protecting the scene and regulating traffic around the scene;- Transporting people from the rescued vehicle to a designated location;- Loading, unloading, transporting, and arranging goods on the rescued vehicle to a designated location;- Loading, erecting the rescued vehicle, and equipment (if necessary);- Transporting the rescued vehicle and equipment to a designated location;- Assessing the extent and value of damage to the highway works caused by the rescued vehicle;- Cleaning and sanitizing the scene after the rescue;- Supporting the rescue (verifying information, opening, and closing emergency reversal points in the median strip, ensuring traffic safety warnings).

Furthermore, rescue costs are to be borne by the vehicle operator if the rescue is required due to the operator's fault or the vehicle's technical condition (including improper loading and binding of goods). Rescue costs will be covered by the unit responsible for organizing the exploitation and maintenance or the highway investor if the rescue is required due to damage to the highway works or other objective reasons (not caused by the vehicle operator's fault).

In addition, the cause of accidents or incidents requiring rescue is determined by the exploiting and maintenance unit. If there is disagreement with the proposed cause, the vehicle operator will negotiate with the exploiting and maintenance unit to choose a competent organization to determine the cause. The cost of determining the cause is included in the rescue costs. If no agreement can be reached, disputes will be resolved according to the law.

Note: In special cases, if rescue tasks do not have a stipulated standard as per this Circular, the costs for rescue operations will be determined based on actual estimates and submitted to the competent authorities for approval, as follows:

- The Directorate for Roads of Vietnam or an authorized agency by the Directorate for Roads of Vietnam; The Department of Transport for managed highways;- Investors for highways built and operated under BOT contracts or other project contract types.

Details can be found in Circular 08/2015/TT-BGTVT, effective from June 1, 2015.

Le Hai

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