Part 2: Don't be like "kidnapping and abandoning the plate"

Illegal buses, illegal bus stations, and disguised contract buses blatantly picking up and dropping off passengers anywhere, anytime are a challenge for authorities. Is it because management is inadequate or the handling measures are not strong enough?

Authorities inspect the actual operation of passenger vehicle tracking devices.

Unsolved problem

The operation of disguised contract vehicles is becoming more sophisticated and larger in scale. They are disguised as specialized tourist vehicles and vehicles picking up passengers in the city, so the authorities have many difficulties in handling them. In addition, because of the convenience, many people choose this service. This fact not only complicates the traffic safety situation but also creates unfair competition in the passenger transport sector.

Representatives of bus companies shared that they could not do business and could not compete with illegal buses, illegal stations, and disguised contract buses, in addition to the sanctions imposed at bus stations. Many businesses even had to "save themselves" by leaving the stations to run contracts; many businesses had to sell their vehicles, change their business direction, or find other partners to exploit...

Mr. Bui Thanh Tra, Head of the Department of Transport, Vehicle and Driver Management, Department of Transport, said: There are currently many shortcomings in identifying and handling violations of disguised contract vehicles. Businesses and bus companies register as contract vehicles but in reality they are passenger buses running on fixed routes. When the authorities inspect, the bus companies all have passenger lists and transport contracts. In addition, sanctions for violations are not strong enough and not deterrent enough. For example, the Department of Transport only has the right to revoke transport badges for speeding violations; some sanctions make it difficult to prove the driver's violations, especially those using contract badges...

Mr. Pham Anh Tuan, Chief Inspector of the Department of Transport, said: During the patrol and handling of violations, the authorities encountered many difficulties in terms of sanctions and the "collusion" of passengers with bus companies; bus companies set up zalo and facebook groups to oppose the authorities, so they could only mainly handle violations of stopping and parking in violation of regulations...

Need to deal with it thoroughly

Over the past two years, Thai Binh City has drawn nearly 1,000 parking spots on the streets with the aim of allowing private cars to park in an orderly manner. However, the situation of passenger transport vehicles and contract vehicles stopping and parking illegally, picking up and dropping off passengers right on the sidewalk and on the road is still quite common, posing many potential risks to traffic safety.

Mr. Nguyen Anh Tuan, Vice Chairman of Thai Binh City People's Committee, said: To rectify the situation of vehicles stopping and parking illegally and the operation of disguised contract vehicles, illegal vehicles, and illegal bus stations, the city has issued a document requesting the authorities to review, inspect, examine, and handle violations, requiring transport businesses to strictly comply with regulations on car parking places and passenger pick-up and drop-off points. At the same time, review and post signs prohibiting stopping and parking of passenger transport vehicles on central streets.

Mr. Chu Tien Dung, Deputy Director of the Department of Transport, said: The joint force including the Department of Transport Inspectorate, the Traffic Police Department (Provincial Police) and the Thai Binh City Police have increased patrols and handled violations of passenger transport vehicles in districts and cities. The locations for coordinated inspections are concentrated on routes entering and leaving the province; the gate area of the Provincial General Hospital, Le Loi Street, An Tap intersection (Thai Binh City) and a number of other routes in the city; bus station areas, areas where passenger transport businesses arrange to pick up and drop off passengers, etc.

This peak period will be carried out from April 20 to May 20, 2023, focusing on inspecting and handling violations such as: passenger transport vehicles without badges; vehicles operating under contracts that do not comply with regulations (disguised vehicles); contract vehicles, tourist passenger transport vehicles that do not carry the correct subjects according to the contract; vehicles running on the wrong route; stopping, parking, picking up and dropping off passengers in the wrong places...

According to the report of the Inspectorate of the Department of Transport, after one month of implementing the project, the interdisciplinary force has handled 57 violations of passenger transport vehicles, imposing a total administrative fine of VND 81 million. "For illegal stops and parking spots in the city, the Department has arranged a system of signs prohibiting stopping and parking, on that basis, increasing patrols and strictly handling violations. In addition, the Department has coordinated with the Provincial Police to propose the Provincial People's Committee and the Provincial Traffic Safety Committee to install cameras to impose fines at some locations such as the gate of the Provincial General Hospital; increase the use of camera data to impose fines for violations of traffic rules... thereby preventing violations, creating a healthy business environment among transport enterprises, ensuring transport discipline, contributing to reducing road traffic accidents" - Mr. Chu Tien Dung, Deputy Director of the Department of Transport added.

The operation of passenger vans under the guise of contracts in the province is currently quite complicated, not only causing traffic insecurity due to stopping, parking, picking up and dropping off passengers in violation of regulations, but also causing unfairness in passenger transport activities. What is worrying is that the bus station system invested by the state is increasingly sparse, even abandoned, causing waste. In addition, due to increasingly fierce competition, the quality and safety of passenger vans under the guise of contracts are decreasing. It is time for management agencies and functional sectors to take synchronous action and restore order to the current type of passenger vans under the guise of contracts.

Reporter team

Source link