2023-11-14 03:27:00
Mr. Nguyen Hoang Tung, Director of Giap Bat bus station, Hanoi, said that regulations for fixed route transport are very strict (requires installation of trip monitoring equipment, cameras to monitor listing conditions). , related transport order documents) but contract vehicles are not like that.
“That means contract vehicles are not under the management of state agencies at either end of the terminal, they only need to register with the Department of Transport for contract contracts with a list of passengers without being managed like fixed route vehicles.
Meanwhile, fixed route transport vehicle must be approved by the Department of Transport at both ends of the route, must carry out all lists (about 17-18 lists): posting inside and outside the vehicle, posting ticket prices, posting hotline phone numbers, and repair equipment. fire, emergency hammer, dash cam…
Both terminals check these lists every day, only when the bus is full will they be able to depart,” Mr. Tung said.
The number of vehicles entering Giap Bat station decreased by about 40% (Photo: N. Huyen)
Giap Bat bus station is a type 1 bus station, with a daily receiving capacity of 1,150 vehicles, but since the Covid-19 epidemic was controlled, it only serves about 600 – 700 vehicles/day (down 40-45%). Among the many reasons for the decline, Mr. Tung admitted that it was also due to the explosion of other types of transportation (contract vehiclecompound car).
In addition, Mr. Nguyen Van Quyen, Chairman of the Vietnam Automobile Transport Association, said that for a long time we have managed passenger transport on fixed routes too tightly while managing contract vehicles too loosely. This is one of the factors causing more and more fixed route vehicles to switch to contract operations.
“The first tightly controlled contract vehicle is related to the station’s management. For example, transport units must be approved by the Department of Transport at both ends of the route and run with the prescribed departure frequency. But passenger transport traffic is not always stable and can increase on weekends, holidays, Tet, and tourist seasons.
At these times, transport units that want to increase trips must ask to increase frequency, making it very difficult to get through both ends of the route. Transport units are not proactive in adapting to market needs.
The announcement of ticket prices is similar, it must be announced a few days in advance and then go through the Department of Transport at both ends of the route, and wait until the station is announced before the ticket price can be adjusted.
This causes fixed-route vehicles to not fully adapt to the supply and demand of the market, while passenger transport under contract is proactive in pricing,” Mr. Quyen emphasized.
Cut down on bus station “rights”.
Frankly acknowledging the situation of passenger cars not entering the station, Mr. Ho Van Huong, former Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Automobile Transport Association, in charge of the Southern provinces for many terms, said: the car does not have to leave the station but no longer exists. “disguised” to enter the station so he was forced to run outside.
“In the city. Ho Chi Minh City has about 300 transport cooperatives. Of these, there are only about 100 businesses running fixed routes, and nearly 200 units specializing in running contract vehicles with nearly 100,000 transportation service vehicles. While the whole city has only 5 bus stations.
The number of vehicles is too large and does not have enough “coverage” to enter the station, so businesses are forced to run outside. For example, the City line. Ho Chi Minh City to Dak Lak every day from 2 bus stations: Mien Dong and An Suong. Each station can only disembark 50 vehicles, any more than that will not be able to enter,” Mr. Huong said.
Meanwhile, according to Mr. Huong, the procedures for operating a fixed-route bus are very strict. Contract operators are more convenient – do not have to register to enter and exit the station (not controlled by the bus station), do not have to register ticket prices, run at any time you like, businesses can set up a depot outside to receive guests.
“Fixed routes must be registered at the station, the frequency of going in and out of the station… and paying a lot of fees such as: entering and exiting the station, parking space fees, and ticket sales commissions. If the business sells tickets itself, it does not have to pay ticket sales commissions but will have to pay for renting the ticket office.
On average, each vehicle entering the station must pay fees ranging from 200 – 300,000 VND depending on the length of the route. While contract vehicles do not have to pay this fee,” Mr. Huong said.
Another issue that worries many bus operators is that current circulars and decrees “devolve too much authority” to bus stations. Bus stations have the right to check relevant documents (vehicle registration, driver’s license…).
Former Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Automobile Transport Association Ho Van Huong said: “Bus stations are also businesses in the market mechanism, not state management agencies and must be equal to transport businesses. No Authority should be assigned to the bus station to check the procedures of transport enterprises’ vehicles when entering and exiting the station.
From here, it creates harassment and trouble for transport businesses. I have received feedback from drivers about the situation causing difficulties during the document checking process. Therefore, I propose to abolish this right of the station and set up an inspection team of the traffic police.”
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