Expanding free rest stops for drivers in HCMC

TPO - Stop to "recharge" with a bowl of fragrant noodles, a glass of cool water; or swing on a shady hammock after hours of driving... Those are all free stops organized by the Trade Union and the Ho Chi Minh City Labor Federation (HCMC Labor Federation) for motorbike taxi drivers in Saigon.

TPO - Stop to "recharge" with a bowl of fragrant noodles, a glass of cool water; or swing on a shady hammock after hours of driving... Those are all free stops organized by the Trade Union and the Ho Chi Minh City Labor Federation (HCMC Labor Federation) for motorbike taxi drivers in Saigon.

Nourish and fill your stomach

After a tiring ride on the road, Mr. Tran Van Hung (26 years old, from Thanh Hoa ) stopped at the free rest stop at 245 Nguyen Duy Trinh (Binh Trung Tay ward, Thu Duc city) right in front of the Thu Duc Labor Culture House headquarters to take a nap.

Arriving at the “zero-dong” food cabinet, Mr. Hung took a box of noodles and made it himself on the spot, next to it was a bucket of cool ice water to cool off on a hot summer day. After filling his stomach, he lay down on a shady hammock to rest and regain his strength to continue working.

“For nearly half a month now, this stop has become my “second home”. Regardless of day or night, sun or rain… we can come here whenever we are tired. Here, food and drinks are always ready, phones are fully charged; we feel secure because we don’t have to worry about being chased away or having our vehicles stolen because there are always surveillance cameras. I have introduced this place to many drivers, so that everyone can stop by and rest when coming to this area” – Mr. Hung confided.

Adding ice to the teapot and guiding drivers to the rest stop for the first time, Mr. Tran Phu Binh, in charge of managing facilities and providing food services at the rest stop in Thu Duc City, said that the model was implemented by the Trade Union Social Work Center under the Ho Chi Minh City Labor Confederation and the Thu Duc City Labor Confederation. This location has become a familiar place for union members to rest and restore their health after trips. At the same time, it connects drivers with the Trade Union, local authorities and the Police in sharing information and disseminating laws to better protect the rights of workers.

“Normally, drivers do not have a place to rest, so this model is a place to help them have a place to rest and recharge their energy to continue working. The rest stop is open from 6am to 1-2am the next morning, providing maximum support for drivers. At the stop, there are cameras to help protect property, phone charging stations, hammocks, hot water for noodles... so they can comfortably serve themselves" - Mr. Binh said.

Another stop at 44 Lien khu 16-18 street (Binh Tri Dong ward, Binh Tan district) is decorated with lots of trees, neat tables and chairs as a place for drivers to rest, eat, and shelter from the rain and sun. The location also has many “zero-dong” services such as instant noodles, iced tea, battery charging, etc. In addition, drivers are also supported with vehicle repair and oil changes at a cheaper price than outside services.

Taking a break to cool off after the lunch delivery rush, Ms. Le Thi Thanh (42 years old, from Thanh Hoa) checked her belongings before turning on the app to receive orders. “Women driving motorbikes have a hard time and have “difficult to talk about” days. Since the city has many rest stops for drivers, I am very happy. There is a place to rest when it is sunny, a place to stay when it rains; there are full restrooms, free internet. This is a place where we can confide, care for each other, and look after our brothers in difficult circumstances,” Ms. Thanh confided.

The Binh Thanh District Labor Federation in coordination with the City Trade Union Social Work Center also launched the “Stopover Point” model at 21E3, Street 4, Chu Van An, Ward 26, Binh Thanh District. Vice Chairman of the Binh Thanh District Labor Federation Vu Huu Phu said that the “Stopover Point” is a free resting place for union members of traditional motorbike taxi and technology car drivers in Binh Thanh District.

“This model is meaningful, helping drivers feel secure in having a safe and convenient place to rest after hours of driving on the road. At the same time, this is also a place for the District Labor Federation to organize propaganda about traffic safety, security and order... From there, it is possible to mobilize and gather workers to participate in the trade union organization, thereby contributing to enhancing the role of the trade union organization,” said Mr. Phu.

Replicating the model

At the free stop for drivers in front of the District 7 Labor Cultural House, dozens of machines stopped and were immediately supported with free oil changes.

Free oil change for workers, laborers, and drivers of the motorbike taxi union in Ho Chi Minh City

“Since the beginning of July, Saigon Petro has cooperated with the Ho Chi Minh City Labor Federation to deploy 11 free stops for drivers. In addition to free programs such as phone charging, food and drinks, toilets, resting places, etc., drivers can also get free oil changes. In addition, drivers can buy discounted oil at a 30-40% discount. This is a very meaningful program, helping drivers have a place to rest and restore their labor, and also buy discounted oil, free oil changes to help them save some money when prices are escalating, and feel more secure in their livelihoods,” said Mr. Nguyen Quoc Huy, Head of Saigon Petro’s motorcycle oil sales department.

Chairman of the Binh Tan District Technology Motorbike Taxi Association Le Tan Luu hopes that the rest stop model will continue to be expanded, not only for motorbike taxi drivers but also for all workers who need a place to rest and avoid the sun and rain. Anyone in need can use the free community services here. This helps the motorbike taxi driver community and other workers have another safe and convenient place to rest and recover.

According to Nguyen Trong Tinh, Director of the Trade Union Social Work Center, the Center has coordinated to establish many rest stops in Binh Tan District, Binh Thanh District, District 7, District 11, Cu Chi District and Thu Duc City. The city currently has over 11,000 members of the motorbike taxi union in districts and Thu Duc City. The goal is to establish at least one rest stop in each district by 2024 to support union members and ensure minimum rest conditions for drivers.

Uyen Phuong

Source: https://tienphong.vn/nhan-rong-nhung-diem-dung-chan-mien-phi-cho-tai-xe-o-tphcm-post1697919.tpo