The Vietnam Road Administration is amending and supplementing Decree 10/2020 regulating business and conditions for automobile transportation business, including many proposals to stop the situation of disguised contract vehicles running wildly in every corner of big cities such as Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, etc.

In particular, it is proposed that contract vehicles and tourist vehicles are not allowed to pick up and drop off passengers regularly for 3 consecutive days or more or for 10 days or more in 1 month at the head office or representative office.

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Traffic police inspect contract vehicle operations

Recently, an officer of the Department also proposed the idea: In type 1 and special cities, contract vehicles transporting workers and experts will pick up and drop off passengers at the locations stated in the contract. With individual contracts (contract vehicles running on a disguised fixed route), passengers will be picked up and dropped off at bus stations or locations announced by the provincial People's Committee.

The idea of ​​​​contract vehicles disguised as having to enter the station has received many supportive opinions, saying that if this idea becomes a reality, it will completely prevent illegal vehicles and stations. At the same time, it will develop harmoniously and compete healthily between types of transportation, limiting the situation of illegal vehicles, stations, and contract vehicles disguised as fixed routes.

On the morning of December 1, talking to VietNamNet reporters about this idea, the leader of the Department of Vehicle and Driver Transport Management (Vietnam Road Administration) said that currently, disguised contract vehicles are operating in violation of the law. When the Departments strengthen management, those vehicles will either not be allowed to operate anymore or if they want to continue operating, they will have to go to the station.

According to statistics from the Vietnam Road Administration, the country currently has nearly 400,000 passenger transport vehicles. Of these, fixed routes are 17,000 vehicles and contract vehicles account for the overwhelming number with about 220,000 vehicles. About 1/4 of these, equivalent to about 60,000 contract vehicles, operate under the guise of fixed routes.

Agreeing with this proposal, Mr. Nguyen Tuyen, Head of Transport Management Department, Hanoi Department of Transport, said that there is currently a situation where contract vehicles take advantage of offices to pick up and drop off passengers, although the inspection force regularly checks, it cannot be completely handled.

Affirming that allowing contracted vehicles to enter the station will reduce the situation of illegal vehicles entering the station, Mr. Tuyen said that in case vehicles entering the station cause the station capacity to be overloaded, the city can consider allowing temporary stations.

For example, My Dinh bus station used to be overloaded, then the station was expanded to meet demand. Individual passengers, not on a full-trip rental contract, must go to the bus station or pick-up point as regulated by the locality.

On the other hand, speaking to reporters, Mr. Nguyen Van Quyen, Chairman of the Vietnam Automobile Transport Association, emphasized that the customers who use contract cars are very diverse. In addition to individual customers using disguised contract cars, there are also a large number of people who need real contracts, renting entire trips to attend weddings, engagements, or travel. Therefore, requiring contract cars to enter the station needs to be carefully considered.

In addition, Mr. Quyen also informed that this was only a proposal from a deputy director at a meeting on November 21 at the Vietnam Road Administration.

“That is just a proposal and I think it is not feasible. Currently, the idea has not been included in the draft amendment to Decree 10. Yesterday (November 30), I attended the meeting to review the amendment and supplement to Decree 10 at the Ministry of Justice and this content was not included. That means this proposal has not been considered further,” said Mr. Quyen.