Two illegal taxis wait for picking up passengers in front of the Mong Cai Coach Station in the northern province of Quang Ninh. (Photo: baoquangninh.com.vn) Hanoi (VNA) - Taxi companies have expressed mixed views on draft regulationsdrawn up by the Ministry of Transport to amend Decree No 86/2014/ND-CP, whichconcerns automobile transportation businesses.
Decree No 86 stipulates that enterprises and cooperatives engagedin taxi passenger transportation must have a minimum of 10 vehicles. For thoseoperating in special urban areas, a minimum of 50 vehicles must be available.
Companies that provide transportation servicesfor goods and passengers under contracts and undertake the transport oftourists by vehicles for a distance of over 300km must have at least 10vehicles if they have offices based in central cities and at least five iftheir offices are located in other localities.
A taxi is not allowed to operate for more thaneight years in special urban areas and 12 years in other localities.
In the draft regulations, which are being circulated to concernedministries and agencies for opinions, the ministry has proposed to waiveregulations on the minimum number of vehicles.
It has also stipulated that ataxi is not allowed to be used for over 12 years regardless of the place ofoperation.
Nguyen Anh Quan, chairman of board of directors of Thien PhongCommercial Co Ltd, which runs Thanh Cong Taxi, said the number of taxis abusiness has partly reflects the quality of the business operations. “Taxifirms that invest in a large number of vehicles will have to pay attention toimprove quality to attract passengers. If the minimum number of vehicles isremoved, it can easily lead to snatching of businesses,” Quan said.
According to Quan, in 2015, some small businesses with less than50 taxis in Hanoi had to merge with each other so as to fulfill Decree No 86.These enterprises have been working for some time now.
Referring to the proposed age of taxis, Quan said taxis operatingin Hanoi often spend more time on road than those in other cities, so theirdepreciation period is often shorter than taxis in other cities. Moreover, Hanoiis the capital, and clauses to maintain quality of taxi service must bestricter.
Nguyen Hong Minh, vice-chairman of the Hanoi TransportationAssociation and director of Nguyen Minh Taxi, said the clause that taxibusinesses in Hanoi must have at least 50 cars is too rigid.
This regulation will create discrimination against small- andmedium-sized enterprises, he added. The Law on Business allows enterprises todo business not prohibited by law, provided they meet the State regulations,Minh pointed out.
About the age of taxis, Minh said that regardless of where thetaxis run, the quality of the cars must be certified by the Vietnam Register[an agency in charge of granting quality certifications for vehicles], and onlyqualified vehicles must ply, so there should be no difference in regulation fordifferent places.
“If there is such a difference, other cities and provinces willsoon become Hanoi’s landfill as businesses, after running vehicles in Hanoi foreight years, will open offices and branches in other provinces and cities andtransfer their old cars there,” Minh said.
Statistics with the ministry show that majority of the taxiservices are currently concentrated in major cities, particularly Hanoi and HCMCity, and are recording rapid growth. Hanoi has more than 18,600 cabs managedby 88 businesses and cooperatives while in HCM City, there are nearly 10,900vehicles operated by 23 businesses and cooperatives.-VNA
Decree No 86 stipulates that enterprises and cooperatives engagedin taxi passenger transportation must have a minimum of 10 vehicles. For thoseoperating in special urban areas, a minimum of 50 vehicles must be available.
Companies that provide transportation servicesfor goods and passengers under contracts and undertake the transport oftourists by vehicles for a distance of over 300km must have at least 10vehicles if they have offices based in central cities and at least five iftheir offices are located in other localities.
A taxi is not allowed to operate for more thaneight years in special urban areas and 12 years in other localities.
In the draft regulations, which are being circulated to concernedministries and agencies for opinions, the ministry has proposed to waiveregulations on the minimum number of vehicles.
It has also stipulated that ataxi is not allowed to be used for over 12 years regardless of the place ofoperation.
Nguyen Anh Quan, chairman of board of directors of Thien PhongCommercial Co Ltd, which runs Thanh Cong Taxi, said the number of taxis abusiness has partly reflects the quality of the business operations. “Taxifirms that invest in a large number of vehicles will have to pay attention toimprove quality to attract passengers. If the minimum number of vehicles isremoved, it can easily lead to snatching of businesses,” Quan said.
According to Quan, in 2015, some small businesses with less than50 taxis in Hanoi had to merge with each other so as to fulfill Decree No 86.These enterprises have been working for some time now.
Referring to the proposed age of taxis, Quan said taxis operatingin Hanoi often spend more time on road than those in other cities, so theirdepreciation period is often shorter than taxis in other cities. Moreover, Hanoiis the capital, and clauses to maintain quality of taxi service must bestricter.
Nguyen Hong Minh, vice-chairman of the Hanoi TransportationAssociation and director of Nguyen Minh Taxi, said the clause that taxibusinesses in Hanoi must have at least 50 cars is too rigid.
This regulation will create discrimination against small- andmedium-sized enterprises, he added. The Law on Business allows enterprises todo business not prohibited by law, provided they meet the State regulations,Minh pointed out.
About the age of taxis, Minh said that regardless of where thetaxis run, the quality of the cars must be certified by the Vietnam Register[an agency in charge of granting quality certifications for vehicles], and onlyqualified vehicles must ply, so there should be no difference in regulation fordifferent places.
“If there is such a difference, other cities and provinces willsoon become Hanoi’s landfill as businesses, after running vehicles in Hanoi foreight years, will open offices and branches in other provinces and cities andtransfer their old cars there,” Minh said.
Statistics with the ministry show that majority of the taxiservices are currently concentrated in major cities, particularly Hanoi and HCMCity, and are recording rapid growth. Hanoi has more than 18,600 cabs managedby 88 businesses and cooperatives while in HCM City, there are nearly 10,900vehicles operated by 23 businesses and cooperatives.-VNA
VNA
