Need to strictly handle illegal taxis

Operate freely

As passengers, we arrived at the bus stop next to the Agribank Transaction Office in Quan Hanh town, Nghi Loc district. It was easy to see that along with the official taxis, unlicensed taxis were also openly waiting to pick up passengers here. As soon as we got off the bus, many drivers immediately came to offer their services. When we asked for the fare, a driver in a white car with license plate 37A-64xxx assured us that the fare was equivalent to a company taxi. When we agreed to get in, the driver quickly put away the taxi sign on the roof of the car and started the engine.

According to the driver, because he is not doing well, he only accepts short-distance trips, but does not accept trips during peak times. This driver also said: “I bought the car to serve my family when traveling far, and the rest of the time I come here to pick up and drop off passengers. It is called a private taxi, but the service is no different from a company taxi, sometimes even cheaper because there are no taxes or fees…”.

According to the reporter's investigation, the operation of illegal taxis in general (mostly 7-seat cars carrying passengers from districts to Vinh City and vice versa) is to prevent the case of the authorities disguising themselves to catch them red-handed, the drivers usually do not collect money on the bus. Only when arriving at the destination, the passengers get off the bus, then the driver gets off to collect the money. Comparing the previous amount (we took a company taxi for the same distance from the bus stop next to the Agribank Transaction Office in Quan Hanh town to Nghi Loc Hospital), the price is equivalent to 40,000 VND.

Not only in Quan Hanh town (Nghi Loc), in many areas such as Vinh city, Dien Chau, Quynh Luu, Do Luong, Cua Lo town... it is not difficult to catch a taxi. It is worth mentioning that wherever there is a taxi company, there are taxi companies and most of them are concentrated at bus stops, hospitals, shopping centers... All taxi companies have the same characteristics, which is that they have taxi flags but the license plates have a white background, without any insignia or logo of any transport business unit. In addition to picking up passengers directly, in the areas, there are also taxi groups established via Facebook, Zalo to connect with each other in receiving passengers. According to a taxi driver in Quynh Luu district, operating like this is free of charge, not subject to the management of any taxi company, the more you drive, the more you get, if you don't like it, you can quit.

In addition to the above mentioned form of illegal taxis, there are also cases of selling apps to serve technology-based illegal taxis, such as Maxim. Although up to now, in Nghe An, Maxim has not been licensed by the competent authority to operate, it still advertises loudly, brazenly opening an office at 41 Pham Dinh Toai Street, Vinh City to recruit drivers.

According to the staff here, if you want to run a taxi, you only need a car and a B2 driver's license to register. Downloading the app and registering is completely free. For each booking, the company will collect a 20% discount, and if the car has a Maxim advertisement sticker, it will be 15%. In addition, if you have a Maxim advertisement sticker on the body of the car, the company will support you with 200,000 VND for 30 trips per month, 400,000 VND for 50 trips, 600,000 VND for 70 trips, and 800,000 VND for 90 trips.

This employee also noted that if the car has changed to a yellow license plate, it is more convenient, but if the license plate is white, it can still operate, but it is necessary to avoid locations such as airports, train stations (where there are taxi companies that have contracts to pick up and drop off passengers - PV) and especially places with traffic police...

According to a driver with a Maxim advertisement sticker on his car that we met at the bus stop next to Diec Pagoda, located on Quang Trung Street, Vinh City, "because Maxim has not been licensed by the competent authority to operate in Nghe An, we have to be cautious when stopping, parking, and driving."

Check and handle strictly

In fact, the operation of illegal vehicles, including illegal taxis, not only causes chaos, affects security, order, and traffic safety on routes, pick-up and drop-off points, etc., but also causes unfair competition with vehicle operators and businesses registered to do passenger transport business.

Regarding this issue, in Document No. 05/VP.HHVT dated March 17, 2023 on the request to handle and rectify the operation of illegal passenger transport vehicles in Nghe An, Nghe An Automobile Transport Association clearly stated: “These types of businesses do not meet the conditions for passenger transport business according to the provisions of law. Not being managed by the Nghe An Department of Transport, they are evading State taxes. Passenger transport businesses that comply with the provisions of law and pay taxes to the State in full have been damaged by the unfair competition of the above types of vehicles, causing chaos, fighting for customers, not ensuring order and traffic safety...”.

While the current regulations on the taxi industry are very strict, such as: The term of use of a taxi business vehicle is 12 years from the date of manufacture; the vehicle must be equipped with a journey monitoring device to monitor operating capacity, ensuring that the driver does not exceed the prescribed time; the driver must have regular health check-ups, and not have sexually transmitted diseases... then illegal taxis are completely outside of these regulations. Not to mention, because there are no regulations, many illegal taxi drivers oppress and threaten taxi company operators to compete for customers...

MR. BUI DUC THANG - VICE PRESIDENT OF NGHE AN AUTOMOBILE TRANSPORT ASSOCIATION

Regarding this issue, the Provincial People's Committee has also issued many documents directing local authorities to inspect and handle the matter. In Official Dispatch No. 3465/UBND-CN dated May 8, 2023 on strengthening the rectification of the work of ensuring traffic order and safety in transportation activities in the province, it is stated: In order for passenger transport business activities by car in the province to comply with the provisions of law, prevent and strictly handle the activities of "illegal cars", contribute to increasing budget revenue, limit insecurity and disorder, ensure fair and transparent competition in transportation business activities, the Provincial People's Committee assigned the Department of Transport to strengthen the management of passenger transport business activities by car in the province.

The Provincial People's Committee also assigned the Provincial Police to direct the Traffic Police Department, the police of districts, cities and towns to increase patrols, use professional measures according to the provisions of law to handle private cars from 5 to 7 seats that violate the regulations on passenger transport business. The Department of Information and Communications shall preside over and coordinate with relevant agencies to organize inspections and examinations of the activities of organizations and individuals related to passenger transport business on the Internet system, and handle violations according to regulations...

Lieutenant Colonel Le Dang Khoa - Head of the Traffic Police Team - Vinh City Police Department said: The fine for violating the business of transporting by car without a transport business license is 11 million VND. Since the beginning of the year, the unit has detected and fined 26 cases, with a total fine of 286 million VND. This is a fairly high fine, however, the car owners still deliberately violate. Mr. Nguyen Viet Hung - Chief Inspector of the Department of Transport also said: Since the beginning of the year, the force has handled more than 20 cases of violating the business of transporting by car without a transport business license, of which, there are 3 cases of illegal taxis.

According to the authorities, in order to impose a fine on illegal vehicles, there must be evidence that they collect money from customers. However, not only are the drivers becoming more sophisticated, but the customers are also not cooperating with the authorities. When asked, they all say that they are family members traveling with them, so it is difficult to verify and handle the case. However, the authorities will increase professional measures to continue handling the case.

Regarding the issue of technology car company Maxim operating in the area without a license, Mr. Nguyen Sy Thang - Head of Transport Management Department, Department of Transport said that the department has worked with the Department of Information and Communications to find a solution. In case the technology car company wants to operate in Nghe An, it must be licensed by the competent authority, fulfill financial obligations, register the vehicle to change the license plate, and issue a badge before the vehicle is allowed to operate.

Thus, the actual operation of illegal vehicles in general and illegal taxis in particular not only causes unfair competition with vehicle operators and businesses registered for passenger transport business, but also poses a potential risk to security, order, and traffic safety. Therefore, the authorities need to continue to inspect and strictly handle to stabilize transportation business activities in the area.