Only those who drive truly understand the hardship of being behind the wheel.
At the seminar "What needs to be done to improve the quality of Hanoi's buses?" on the morning of November 17th, Associate Professor Dr. Vu Ngoc Khiem - Chairman of the University Council of Transport Technology - explained the reasons why people have not yet switched from using private vehicles to public transport. He stated that although the benefits of using public transport are clearly seen at the societal level, people have not yet realized the personal benefits they receive.
Therefore, many people still prefer using private vehicles for their convenience.
For large cities like Hanoi , there is no way to solve this problem other than developing public transportation, including buses (Photo: Huu Thang).
"Actually, this benefit is overall, not just for Mr. A or Mr. B. Studies on the environmental impact of using different types of transportation don't specifically affect any individual, so this is a general societal perspective," Mr. Khiem said.
According to Mr. Khiem, realistically, people still have limited access to public transportation because public transport stops are far away, sidewalks are occupied, making pedestrians feel unsafe, and in some places there is no place for people to park their personal vehicles when they want to use public transport.
Taking the Cat Linh - Ha Dong railway line as a specific example, he mentioned that it has recently come into operation and lacks parking spaces for private vehicles. "There are some places, but they are spontaneous. Therefore, to make public transportation accessible to people, we need to create conditions for them," Mr. Khiem said.
Accordingly, among many solutions, this expert suggests considering the use of public two-wheeled vehicles to connect people with public transportation. This has been implemented in many places around the world and is also suitable for Hanoi.
"We are piloting a terminal connection project, and this will serve as the basis for proposing policy adjustments to the city. If this connection is implemented, it will be a good opportunity to increase people's participation in bus services," Mr. Khiem informed.
Mr. Nghiem Quoc Thang - Vice President of the Hanoi Public Passenger Transport Association (Photo: Organizing Committee).
Also discussing priority solutions for the future, according to Mr. Nghiem Quoc Thang - Vice Chairman of the Hanoi Public Passenger Transport Association, the first solution is to dedicate priority lanes for buses. This could be implemented soon on the section from Nga Tu So to Ha Dong, approximately 5-6km long. Where the road cross-section is over 9m wide, dedicated lanes should be boldly opened.
"In my opinion, we don't need to open up the entire route; we should open it where it's reasonable and there's enough space. Dedicated lanes like this have many benefits, not only for buses but also for other vehicles like ambulances and fire trucks," Mr. Thang said.
Regarding the employment situation, Mr. Thang suggested that the age limit could be extended to include those over 55 who are in good health, as they possess more experience. He also proposed considering increasing benefits for this workforce.
"Regarding the income and benefits of drivers, we all agree that drivers are very important, ensuring the safety of dozens of people in their vehicles, yet they don't receive a decent income. Currently, the National Assembly is discussing salary reform, and in my opinion, drivers also need a salary increase because of the hazardous nature of their work."
In reality, only those who drive understand the hardships of being behind the wheel. Many skilled drivers who have driven long distances between North and South Vietnam for years struggle to drive buses when faced with traffic jams. I believe that discipline should be commensurate with income. High discipline should be rewarded with high income," Mr. Thang added.
The problem lies in how each company manages its workforce.
Regarding state management, Mr. Thai Ho Phuong, Deputy Director of the Hanoi Public Transport Management Center, stated that the center is submitting a proposal to the Hanoi City government for the rational arrangement of bus stops; along with a network restructuring plan, introducing other types of public transport such as minibuses; piloting public bicycles and applying technology to facilitate transfers; and implementing integrated ticketing and electronic ticketing policies to increase people's access to the bus system and improve travel times.
According to Mr. Phuong, among the passengers' complaints, there are many grievances about the quality of service provided by drivers and staff; however, the inadequate treatment of employees is likely the main reason.
"I believe that income is not the issue; paying high salaries doesn't automatically improve service quality. The key lies in how each company manages its workforce, ensuring drivers and ticket sellers aren't under pressure, and whether the training is truly effective," Mr. Phuong said.
Hanoi currently has 11 transport companies operating buses with more than 2,300 vehicles (Photo: Pham Tung).
Mr. Phuong suggested that the inspection and supervision work of businesses and state management agencies needs to be reviewed to see if it has been rigorous enough.
"If drivers and staff violate regulations but are not punished, repeated violations will lead to the mindset that it's okay to violate them, resulting in a recidivist mentality and failing to create a deterrent effect," Mr. Phuong said, while also emphasizing that improving the quality of public passenger transport services requires the efforts of multiple sectors.
Accordingly, the Hanoi Public Transport Management Center has developed a set of criteria to evaluate the quality of bus services. However, implementation faces difficulties because satisfaction is a difficult factor to quantify. "We are continuing to refine the criteria, adding more information channels and measuring passenger satisfaction so that the evaluation criteria become more accurate and transparent," Mr. Phuong said.
Mr. Phuong believes that strong support from businesses is essential in proactively improving the quality of service provided by drivers and ticket sellers.
In addition, there has been strong involvement from the media in promoting the benefits of public passenger transport to the public. Particularly noteworthy is the responsible voice of passengers regarding violations by drivers and staff, even the smallest ones, such as not opening the door upon arrival or not issuing tickets after collecting fares, so that these shortcomings can be promptly addressed .
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