Sharing benefits with people

(Baonghean) - After the media reported that gasoline prices had decreased, but fixed passenger transport fares remained "unmoved", the Ministry of Transport, Nghe An Provincial People's Committee and other levels and sectors actively took action, so in the province, 7 businesses reduced prices, and 52 other businesses also committed to reducing prices to share benefits with the people.

Passenger transport activities at Vinh Bus Station.

Mr. Nguyen Duc Tu, Deputy Director of Vinh Bus Station, said that Vinh Bus Station currently has 48 passenger transport businesses. Up to now, most of the bus companies have increased fares according to gasoline prices. However, when gasoline prices have decreased many times and deeply, businesses have remained almost "inactive". From mid-November until now, implementing the policy of reducing transportation fares of the Ministry of Transport and the People's Committee of Nghe An province, 7 bus companies have registered to reduce ticket prices. Of which, the biggest reduction is on the Vinh - Hanoi route of Van Minh, Phu Quy, Tuan Viet, Dien Quynh, Hoan Hoa, Huy Huong, ... In addition, some bus companies running intra-provincial routes such as Vinh - Tan Ky, Vinh - Thanh Chuong, Vinh - Quynh Luu, ... have also started to reduce ticket prices. The common reduction is about 10%.

Nghe An is one of the localities with a large number of transport enterprises, with thousands of vehicles, including about 700 passenger cars and nearly 1,000 taxis. The rapid development of transport types has partly met the needs of the people, as well as contributed significantly to the economic and social development. The fact that 52 transport enterprises in the province signed a commitment to reduce fares by 6-10% according to the policy of the Ministry of Transport and the Provincial People's Committee, brings benefits to passengers. Mr. Phan Huu Man, Chairman of Binh Minh Transport Cooperative, a pioneer in reducing fares, said that the Cooperative currently has 130 passenger transport cars running 30 fixed routes within and outside the province.

According to the calculations of the cooperative members, when the price of gasoline decreases, each trip saves about 400,000 - 500,000 VND for sleeper buses, and about 200,000 - 300,000 VND for seated buses. After balancing income and expenditure, most of the cooperative members agreed to implement the price reduction policy. We have submitted the price adjustment plan to the Department of Transport, the Passenger Transport Association and Vinh Bus Station. Meanwhile, Mr. Phan Dinh Khan, Chairman of Nghe An Passenger Transport Joint Stock Cooperative, hopes that the units will fulfill their commitments and simultaneously reduce ticket prices to bring about fair competition. Mr. Khan shared: "We call on businesses to reduce fares according to the committed schedule by November 30 at the latest. We hope that people will continue to accompany and share with transport businesses in the coming time."

Leaders of Vinh Bus Station Joint Stock Company check the fare posting at the station.

According to statistics from the Department of Transport, from the beginning of 2014 until now, gasoline prices have increased 5 times, decreased 10 times and diesel prices have been adjusted up 4 times, decreased 17 times. Thus, gasoline prices have now decreased sharply compared to the beginning of 2014 (gasoline prices decreased 15.63% and oil prices decreased 18.8%). However, passenger transport units in Nghe An have been slow to declare and adjust fares accordingly. Mr. Hoang Phu Hien - Deputy Director of the Department of Transport said: "Implementing the direction of the Ministry of Transport and the Provincial People's Committee on controlling car transportation fares in Nghe An, the department has strengthened propaganda and mobilization work, and at the same time issued a document requesting transportation businesses to study and calculate to rebuild fares to adjust with a minimum reduction of 6%, ensuring that the adjusted freight rates are consistent with the reduction in input fuel prices, thereby contributing to reducing the cost of other goods and services. With the active participation of relevant levels and sectors and the response of transportation businesses, many businesses have now reduced fares."

From 11:00 a.m. on November 22, the price of gasoline and oil decreased by VND 1,140 per liter. Immediately, the leaders of the Vietnam Road Administration were present in Nghe An to inspect the implementation of fare reduction. Previously, the Provincial People's Committee also issued a document urging relevant sectors to inventory transportation fares and request businesses to reduce fares. According to Mr. Do Cong Thuy, Deputy Director of the Department of Transportation, Vietnam Road Administration, Nghe An is the leading province in the country in reducing transportation service prices. When randomly checking 3 units including Mai Linh, Binh Minh Cooperative and Van Minh Company, the above units all reduced fares, of which Mai Linh reduced prices twice (10%), Van Minh reduced prices once (10,000 VND/ticket), Binh Minh Cooperative reduced prices once on different routes with different reduction levels. “The Directorate for Roads of Vietnam acknowledges and appreciates the efforts of the People's Committee of Nghe An province, the Department of Transport of Nghe An province, the Transport Association of Nghe An province as well as transport enterprises in the province. The action of reducing transport fares is to accompany the people, implementing the policy of the transport sector. In particular, the reduction of fares before the New Year contributes to stabilizing the prices of goods, bringing many benefits to the people,” Mr. Do Cong Thuy affirmed.

Hoang Vinh - Nguyen Khoa