Vehicle inspection centers are bracing themselves to weather the storm.

Working together to serve the people.

In the early days of 2024, the 2903V Vehicle Inspection Center (Cau Giay, Hanoi ) was always crowded with vehicles coming for inspection, but no traffic congestion occurred.

Even though there are days when he has to work overtime to serve the needs of the people, for Mr. Tuy, a vehicle inspector at the 2903V Vehicle Inspection Center, this pressure is nothing compared to the time when he was seconded by the Vietnam Register to support the 5015D Vehicle Inspection Center in Ho Chi Minh City.

In 2023, the Ministry of Transport issued circulars aimed at thoroughly addressing issues related to vehicle inspection, better serving the public and businesses. Photo: Ta Hai.

It was the end of December 2022, and upon arriving at the 5015D Vehicle Inspection Center, he was overwhelmed by the long lines of cars waiting for inspection, stretching for several kilometers, with drivers and car owners lying haphazardly on the road in hammocks.

Along with inspectors from the Ministry of Transport, military inspectors were also deployed to provide support. As a result, in the following days, the two inspection lines operated at full capacity to quickly release vehicles.

"Without being told, the inspectors all try their best to work, even if they only have 30 minutes each day for lunch and rest, before continuing with their work."

"We wake up at 5 a.m. to start work, take a lunch break at 12:30 p.m., and then continue working from 1 p.m. until 7 p.m. Some days, we finish work late, and by then, we're already past our hunger pangs," Tuy shared.

Despite the intense workload, everyone encouraged each other to stay healthy, given the severe labor shortage. Even one sick person could bring the entire production line to a halt, resulting in hundreds of vehicles missing their inspection deadlines and hundreds of citizens having to wait another day.

During that time, Mr. Tuy was away from his family for two months. His only worry was his wife being home alone, working and taking care of their five-year-old child. But understanding her husband's work, his wife appreciated him and always encouraged him to try his best to finish his work so he could return home to reunite with his family.

Everyone looks like they've aged a decade.

Unlike the gridlock of a year ago, in December 2023, despite the high demand for vehicle inspections in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and Dong Nai, congestion did not occur thanks to a series of timely solutions to stabilize the vehicle inspection industry.

During the peak of the crisis, 106 out of 281 vehicle inspection centers were raided, and more than 600 officials and inspectors were successively prosecuted and arrested on various charges, plunging the vehicle inspection industry into crisis.

Under the direction of the Government, the Ministry of Transport and the Vietnam Register have implemented many urgent solutions.

Within just three months, Circular No. 02/2023 and Circular No. 08/2023 were issued with three notable provisions: Exemption from initial vehicle inspection for new cars (approximately 500,000 vehicles/year); an extension of the inspection cycle by six months for certain types of vehicles; and automatic extension of the inspection cycle for passenger cars with up to nine seats not used for commercial transportation.

"These new regulations were considered a breakthrough by many experts and citizens, immediately resolving the inspection congestion at the time," said Mr. Nguyen To An, Deputy Director of the Vietnam Register Department.

Recalling the period of rapid research and drafting of circulars, Mr. An recounted that, having been assigned the task of drafting circulars within a very short timeframe, the working groups and researchers had to work day and night.

There are officials who spend days "stationed" at the office, unable to leave work to go home. There are also those who work until midnight before grabbing a quick sandwich or a cheap meal.

"The days of working tirelessly day and night made everyone feel like they had aged a decade. However, when the circular was issued and its initial effectiveness was observed, everyone breathed a sigh of relief," Mr. An shared.

Working through the night to fill the manpower shortage.

During those turbulent times, in the memory of a leader of the Motor Vehicle Inspection Department of the Vietnam Registering Agency, there was also the effort to compensate for the shortage of vehicle inspection personnel.

From January 1st to November 30th, 2023, the Vietnam Registering and Inspection Department urgently organized 29 assessment sessions for vehicle inspectors (6-7 times more than in previous years), issued initial certificates to 285 motor vehicle inspectors, organized 5 professional training courses for 251 trainees who met the internship requirements; and provided inspection training for 150 other professional staff.

Not only were weekend assessments conducted, but many were also organized overnight, with the sole objective of quickly replenishing personnel and restoring inspection lines.

Recalling the nighttime assessments of vehicle inspectors at the 2903V Vehicle Inspection Center (Cau Giay, Hanoi), Mr. Tran Quoc Hoan, Deputy Director in charge of the center, said that these were surprise assessments, conducted on weekday evenings.

"Each assessment session involves only a little over 10 vehicle inspectors, whose certificates are about to expire. If they are not reassessed and reissued in time, the entire inspection center may have to close due to a shortage of personnel," Mr. Hoan said.

According to Mr. Le Anh Dung, from a vehicle inspection center in Quang Ninh, after receiving his senior vehicle inspector certificate three years ago, he participated in an exam on the evening of April 24th to reassess his skills.

"After finishing my morning shift, I urgently arranged to travel from Mong Cai to Hanoi to be on time for the 7 PM exam. After completing both parts of the exam, I returned to Quang Ninh that same night so I could work normally the next morning. At that time, the demand for vehicle inspections was very high, and the inspection center was short of staff, so there could be no delay," Mr. Dung said.

During those days, Mr. Hoan served as both a representative of the unit organizing the assessment and an officer directly evaluating the vehicle inspectors, working continuously until 10 PM without even having time to eat.

"After the inspection, on the way home, I was so hungry I could barely see. I didn't get home until after 11 PM, and the whole family had already gone to bed," Mr. Hoan said, adding: "At that time, although tired, the vehicle inspection force always carried within them the spirit of fighting wholeheartedly to regain the trust of the people and society."

To maximize convenience for citizens and in accordance with the directives of the Minister of Transport, the Vietnam Registering and Inspection Department quickly developed an application for scheduling vehicle inspection appointments (TTDK app), allowing people to schedule inspections from home without having to bring their vehicles to queue. Thanks to the synchronized implementation of many solutions, vehicle inspection activities nationwide returned to normal in June 2023.

Source: https://www.baogiaothong.vn/dang-kiem-cang-minh-vuot-bao-192240208000001723.htm