Amendments to Decree 168 will include penalties for "shared rides".

The draft amendment to Decree 168 of the Ministry of Public Security states that the situation of vehicles not registered for transportation business but still carrying passengers constitutes "disguised" transportation business operations.

"Parallel-registered vehicles" usually have white license plates; the image shows a vehicle violating traffic rules, as recorded by the police - Photo: Provided by the police.

"Carpooling" (or ride-sharing) is a form of transportation where multiple passengers share a private car (usually 4-7 seats) on the same route to split the cost, booked through social media or apps.

Additionally, passengers can "book a private car" to reserve a trip for one person or a group of people traveling together. This is a popular and flexible service, offering door-to-door pick-up and drop-off, and is more cost-effective than taxis, but it often operates spontaneously and lacks regulation.

Convenient but unsafe.

Le Linh (20 years old, a student at the National Economics University) said she returns to her hometown in Phu Tho about once every three weeks. Her preferred method is to join ride-sharing groups on social media and then specify a suitable time slot.

A few minutes later, a driver will automatically contact you and come to pick you up. "You don't need to plan too early, just let us know about 30 minutes in advance and there's always a car," Linh said.

From a user's perspective, Linh said that if she traveled by bus, she would have to go to the bus station, buy a ticket, and then wait for the bus to go back to her hometown.

"When I get to the bus station, I have to take a shuttle bus provided by the bus company or call relatives to pick me up. But with a convenient shuttle service, the driver can pick me up right at my rented room and drop me off at the gate," she explained.

As for Mr. Bui Van Cuong (from Tuyen Quang ), when he hires a car for a convenient trip, he usually requests a car with a white license plate, a new model, and is willing to pay extra waiting fees so that he can "turn around" immediately after finishing his work.

However, Mr. Cuong shared that despite the advantages, he always feels uneasy whenever he rides in shared taxis. On numerous occasions, this male passenger has been startled and frightened by drivers speeding and recklessly overtaking.

In particular, many ride-sharing drivers are driving at high speeds while constantly making phone calls and sending messages to colleagues on Zalo groups to find and "recruit" customers to each other. "They have groups and agree on schedules for their vehicles."

"If there are passengers at any given time, we'll transfer them to each other. Or we'll gather passengers whose destinations are close together and then transfer them to another vehicle when we reach the meeting point," he said.

Causing significant damage, action must be taken.

In the draft decree amending Decree 168/2024, currently being reviewed by the Ministry of Public Security , the drafting agency proposes a fine of 12-14 million VND for drivers of non-commercial passenger transport vehicles who still transport passengers for a fee or sign contracts/reservations to transport passengers in their vehicles.

This also includes a deduction of 6 points from the driver's license. The Ministry of Public Security argues that the situation of vehicles not registered for transportation business but still carrying passengers and goods to collect money, and vehicles operating "undercover" for transportation business, creates unfairness and lack of transparency in transportation business activities, while also causing tax revenue losses for the state budget.

This behavior also aims to evade state management of road transport.

Speaking to Tuoi Tre newspaper, Mr. Phan Thanh Uy, General Secretary of the Vietnam Automobile Transport Association, expressed support for the Ministry of Public Security's proposal. He stated that "carpooling" is a long-standing issue in the passenger transport sector.

The association has repeatedly received feedback from its member businesses and has also submitted proposals to government agencies to implement management measures for this type of business, aiming to create transparency and safety in business operations.

The General Secretary of the Vietnam Automobile Transport Association stated that all transport businesses must register their operations, ensure compliance with safety regulations, and fulfill their tax obligations, clearly defining routes and schedules... in accordance with the law.

"For example, in the draft amendment to Decree 168, all commercial transport vehicles must install devices to record the driver's image, instead of only vehicles with more than 8 seats as before. Many other regulations have also been made stricter," he cited as an example.

According to Mr. Uy, the "shared ride" service is not under this regulation because most of these vehicles still use white license plates. Therefore, "shared rides" will have an advantage in terms of price and routes, creating unfair competition.

At the same time, the operation of these vehicles also leads to revenue losses for the budget and is outside the management of competent authorities. "I am certain that 'shared taxis' have been causing significant damage to legitimate transportation businesses, so they need to be dealt with," Mr. Uy said.

HONG QUANG

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/sua-nghi-dinh-168-se-xu-phat-xe-ghep-2026041407383711.htm