Encourage the development of public passenger transport by bus

In reality, maintaining the efficient operation of this type of transport is not easy.

Quang Ninh province is located in the Northern key economic region, with its strategic position, it has created breakthroughs in socio-economic development, accelerating the urbanization process in the province's major administrative centers. At the same time, this process also causes complex problems such as increased travel demand, use of personal vehicles, increased traffic congestion during rush hours on some urban routes, causing environmental pollution and traffic accidents. Recognizing the importance of developing public passenger transport, Quang Ninh province considers the development of a public transport system by bus as one of the top priorities, demonstrated through the planning of the development of the bus network in the area since 2012 and many other synchronous solutions to solve the problems of urban transport infrastructure.

According to the report of the People's Committee of Quang Ninh province, from 2007 to present, the province has 6 bus routes (not subsidized) operated by transport enterprises to serve people's travel. However, recently, due to the impact of the Covid-19 epidemic, the number of passengers using bus services has decreased sharply, enterprises have not operated effectively; vehicles used for 12-14 years have degraded, enterprises lack funds to replace new vehicles, and the cost of investing in electric buses is high. The infrastructure serving bus operations (parking lots, stops, waiting rooms, starting points, ending points) has not been invested synchronously and properly to ensure traffic safety and order and create urban beauty. The exemption and reduction of fares for policy beneficiaries has not been seriously implemented by enterprises. Service quality is still limited, not meeting the travel needs of people. To develop public passenger transport by bus in both quality and quantity, it is necessary to have mechanisms and policies to encourage and support the development and upgrading of vehicles and infrastructure serving bus operations and support ticket prices to attract people, especially workers, students, and low-income people to use public passenger transport services.

Implementing Decision No. 876/QD-TTg dated July 22, 2022 of the Prime Minister approving the action program on green energy conversion, reducing carbon and methane emissions of the Transport sector, Quang Ninh has approved the Project on developing public passenger transport by bus in Quang Ninh province for the period 2023-2030. In particular, the goal is to strive for 100% of buses to replace and invest in new ones using electricity and green energy by 2025; increase the rate of people using bus services to about 3% in 2025 and about 6.5% by 2030. At the same time, improve the quality of bus services to meet the standards of buses in major cities across the country (such as Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, etc.) to meet the increasing needs of people and tourists . However, in reality, many of the above goals cannot be achieved so far.

Operation of bus routes in the province.

Currently, 6 bus passenger transport routes in the province have 3 participating enterprises, of which the most is Phuc Xuyen Company Limited, which is operating 4 routes: Uong Bi - Vang Danh, Dong Trieu - Hon Gai, Hon Gai - Quang Yen and Uong Bi - Quang Yen; Bai Chay Quang Ninh Bus Joint Stock Company and Van Don Passenger Transport Joint Stock Company are operating 2 routes: Bai Chay - Cai Rong and Bai Chay - Mong Duong. This shows that the number of bus routes in operation is still small, not commensurate with the strategic position in the key economic region of the North of the locality. The bus routes also only go through traffic routes with high demand, while the remaining routes with low passenger traffic are not focused on development.

Recently, the number of passengers using bus services has decreased sharply, but in reality, many schools and businesses have to sign contracts to rent cars to transport workers, laborers and students. This situation has caused problems in management, ensuring traffic safety, as well as reducing the attractiveness of attracting investment in developing public passenger transport services by bus. Not only that, although public passenger transport services by bus are a special type of business, businesses do not have mechanisms and policies to support ticket subsidies for passengers; support bank interest rates for reinvestment; preferential mechanisms for corporate income tax, etc.

Thus, in order to remove obstacles and difficulties, create favorable conditions to support and encourage the development of public passenger transport by bus, the timely issuance of policies to support and encourage the development of this type of activity is a necessary condition to contribute to promoting the development of public passenger transport, better serving the diverse travel needs of people, connecting with other types of transport in a more synchronous and reasonable manner. At the same time, it contributes to saving travel costs and general costs of the whole society, limiting the use of personal vehicles, reducing congestion, reducing traffic accidents, reducing environmental pollution, reducing emissions, reducing noise, ensuring living conditions, improving the quality of life of people.

Ngoc Khoi

Source: https://baoquangninh.vn/khuyen-khich-phat-trien-hoat-dong-van-tai-hanh-khach-cong-cong-bang-xe-buyt-3350511.html