Is the provincial governor about to be granted a train driver's license?

TPO - Instead of having to go through multiple levels as is currently the case, local authorities could be empowered to handle most important procedures in the railway sector, from issuing train driver licenses to managing level crossings, in order to reduce time and costs for citizens and businesses.

Currently, the Vietnam Railway Authority is responsible for issuing, reissuing, and revoking vehicle registration certificates for national and specialized railways, as well as issuing train driver licenses on national routes. Meanwhile, for local railways, urban railways, and vehicles under the management of provinces, the authority is delegated to the Provincial People's Committee.

In the field of level crossing infrastructure, the Vietnam Railway Authority manages public level crossings on national lines, while local authorities are responsible for local public level crossings and dedicated level crossings connecting to the national railway network.

However, in practice, many procedures related to national railway lines passing through provincial areas still require processing through multiple levels, prolonging the process and incurring additional costs for citizens and businesses.

The provincial chairman is about to be granted permission to drive trains and open/close level crossings across railway lines. Photo: Loc Lien.

To address this issue, the latest draft amendments and explanations regarding the Circular amending and supplementing certain provisions within the Ministry of Construction 's scope of management have mentioned that the draft amendments to Circulars No. 33/2025/TT-BXD and 34/2025/TT-BXD propose significantly expanding the authority of local governments.

Accordingly, the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee will be granted the authority to issue, reissue, and revoke train driver licenses, as well as register vehicles on the entire railway system, including national railways, local railways, and specialized railways.

Local authorities are also empowered to make decisions regarding railway crossings. The Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee will directly issue, renew, revoke construction permits, or decide to abolish public and dedicated level crossings throughout the entire railway network. This is expected to help localities proactively and quickly address potential safety risks, instead of having to wait for instructions from higher levels.

To avoid the risk of disruption or gaps in management, the draft proposes a transitional mechanism of up to 24 months from the effective date of the Railway Law. During this period, localities that do not yet meet the requirements can request the Ministry of Construction to continue performing the tasks of licensing train drivers and registering vehicles.

Data from the Vietnam Railways Corporation (VNR) shows that the accident situation is becoming increasingly complex. In just four months (from December 16, 2025 to April 13 of this year), 65 railway accidents occurred nationwide, resulting in 32 deaths and 30 injuries. A representative from the corporation pointed out that 50% of the accidents occurred at road-rail level crossings; of which unauthorized crossings accounted for 42%, while legal level crossings accounted for 10%. The main cause at the scene was people's lack of observation and failure to comply with signs and signals.

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Source: https://tienphong.vn/chu-tich-tinh-sap-duoc-cap-phep-lai-tau-post1845040.tpo