Transport businesses expect after merger

After Hai Duong and Hai Phong merged, the development potential of the new city opened up great space for many transportation businesses.

Bus route 08 connecting Hai Duong - Hai Phong becomes an inner-city bus route after the merger

From inter-provincial bus route to inner-city route

Currently, Duc Khoa Transport Joint Stock Company, Hai Duong Ward (Hai Phong City) is operating 3 bus routes, from Tay Hai Duong static parking lot to Quang Ninh, Bac Ninh (formerly Bac Giang ) and Dong Hai Phong with a total of 27 vehicles.

According to Mr. Tran The Dong, Deputy Director of Duc Khoa Transport Joint Stock Company, Hai Duong - Hai Phong is now a city, so the company will reclassify inter-regional and inner-city bus routes. The company hopes that in the coming time, the government will have specific policies, especially subsidies, allowing vehicles to access central areas such as main bus stations, tourist centers, administrative areas, etc. to improve connection efficiency and increase passenger attraction.

Mr. Tran The Dong shared that compared to the peak period in 2007, the number of vehicles of the company has decreased by half. The general difficulties of the passenger transport industry after the Covid-19 pandemic and fierce competition from carpooling, technology cars, and the strong development of private cars are the main reasons leading to the reduction in scale.

Of which, the inter-provincial bus route No. 08 previously connected the Tay Hai Duong static parking lot and the old Kien An district (Hai Phong city), the enterprise only maintains 8 vehicles on the route, a decrease of 4 vehicles compared to the original. The service frequency has also gradually decreased but is still maintained at 20 minutes/trip during rush hour. "If we are allowed to expand the route to the city center, tourist attractions, administrative areas, etc., and are subsidized, we are ready to invest in new vehicles, increase trips, and serve passengers better," said Mr. Dong.

As a long-standing passenger transport enterprise in Kien An ward, Thinh Hung Transport Company Limited is currently managing a passenger transport system with about 60 vehicles serving 6 inner-city bus routes including 03, 14, 16B, 16C, 18, 22.

Mr. Ha Duy Hung, Director of Thinh Hung Transport Company Limited, expressed: "If there is a subsidy mechanism and a policy to encourage socialization, we are willing to invest in electric vehicles to improve service quality. However, the current investment cost for electric vehicles is very large, each vehicle is about 4 billion VND, while the technical infrastructure serving electric vehicles such as charging stations and parking lots is not yet synchronized, so businesses do not dare to invest."

One of the reasons why public transport has not been able to "rise" strongly is the ticket price. Mr. Hung cited that the bus route from Dau Khi Hotel to Do Son used to be the company's main route, but when it was no longer subsidized, the ticket price increased to 30,000 VND/trip, causing the number of passengers to decrease sharply. Recently, this bus route has been adjusted from the City's Political - Administrative Center - Do Son and vice versa to serve passengers, people, officials, civil servants, public employees, and workers in Hai Phong city who need to travel and move more conveniently when the city's new Political - Administrative Center in Thuy Nguyen comes into operation from July 1, 2025.

According to Mr. Hung, the strong development of private vehicles has caused the number of passengers traveling by bus to decrease. In fact, the current users of buses are mainly students, workers, laborers, and low-income people. Therefore, for public transport to be truly effective, it is necessary to have a flexible subsidy policy, suitable for each route, each area, and each group of people.

With the strong development potential of the merged city, many businesses believe that this is the time to remove bottlenecks and effectively exploit the large space of the transportation industry.

Development opportunities

From the perspective of a transport business operator owning nearly 100 passenger and cargo vehicles in Thanh Mien commune (Hai Phong city), Mr. Trieu Duy Luu, Director of Trieu Pho Company Limited, said that the merger is not simply a change of administrative boundaries but also opens up opportunities for logistics development in the Northern coastal region.

“We have about 20 trucks transporting electronic goods from Phuc Dien Industrial Park and VSIP Industrial Park to ports in Dong Hai Phong. After the merger, we feel much more comfortable because we feel like we are transporting within the same city. All steps from procedures, delivery, to goods coordination are fast and convenient,” Mr. Luu shared.

The West of Hai Phong, with the advantage of having many large industrial parks and being the "backyard" of the Hai Phong port cluster, has the potential to become a regional logistics center. Mr. Luu expects: "The merger will create a combined strength, maximizing the advantages of seaport logistics. If there are more preferential policies and support mechanisms, the West of the city can completely rise to become a goods distribution center of the Northern coastal region."

Contract vehicle transporting officials of the State Bank of Vietnam, Hai Duong branch (old) to work directly at the headquarters of the State Bank of Vietnam, Region 6. Photo: HA KIEN

Currently, Trieu Pho Company Limited is operating about 50 contract vehicles to serve the transportation needs of officials, employees, and students. Some vehicles are under transportation contracts with administrative agencies and public units to transport officials to work in the new city.

“We expect that after the merger, if support policies are issued with clear, transparent mechanisms and practical support, the transport industry will certainly have a sustainable growth boost in the future,” said Mr. Trieu Duy Luu.

Transportation is not only a sector that plays a role in connecting trade and serving people's travel needs, but is also one of the sectors directly affected by changes in administrative boundaries. With a proactive spirit, ready to invest in expanding vehicles, improving service quality, and the strong development potential of the city after the merger, many businesses believe that this is the time to remove bottlenecks and effectively exploit the large space of the transportation industry.

HA NGA

Source: https://baohaiphongplus.vn/doanh-nghiep-van-tai-ky-vong-sau-hop-nhat-416138.html