Nghe An Automobile Transport Association: A bridge to support and improve transport quality

Connect and support members

Mr. Nguyen Xuan Dat - Vice ChairmanNghe An Automobile Transport Association, who is also the Director of a member company of the association, said that since Van Xuan Transport and Trading Joint Stock Company joined the Automobile Transport Association, not only the leaders but also the employees of the company have had many opportunities to exchange and connect with other transportation companies to support each other in business and social activities. Our ancestors have long concluded that "buying has friends, selling has partners", the Nghe An Automobile Transport Association is also the same, it is an organization established for members to support each other to develop together, harmonize interests as well as comply with the provisions of the law.

“In the last term, although the association's businesses faced many difficulties, the association's leaders tried to connect members, support each other in transportation work, ensure the health of staff, and support the community in preventing the epidemic. We identify the association as a bridge to connect businesses for mutual development,” Mr. Nguyen Xuan Dat affirmed.

The demand for passenger and cargo transportation in the province is increasing, requiring transportation businesses to unite for mutual development. Photo: Thanh Cuong

In the previous term, after the Congress of Nghe An Automobile Transport Association, the Executive Board and leaders of the Association completed the amendment of the Charter and it was approved by the Provincial People's Committee in Decision No. 588/QD-UBND dated March 4, 2016. In particular, some basic goals that the Association always pays attention to are actively gathering and motivating members to improve the quality of transportation services. At the same time, the Association is also a place to connect members to exchange and meet to grasp the favorable situation, difficulties, and obstacles in transportation activities and the wishes of members, promptly recommending competent agencies to consider and resolve to ensure their rights. For example, through grasping the thoughts of transportation enterprisespassenger, especially buses, in regulating bus routes and trip frequency, the Association has supported the establishment of a Bus Operation Self-Management Board, established under Decision No. 479/QD-SGTVT dated August 24, 2017 of the Director of Nghe An Department of Transport.

“Since our company joined the Automobile Transport Association, our staff have always been given regular health check-ups and guaranteed policies according to the State’s regulations, so we feel very secure in our commitment to the company,” said a driver from Van Minh Company Limited. The coordination of organizing health check-ups for drivers, checking the implementation of transport business conditions at enterprises; or organizing professional training for drivers, service staff, transport operators for members and checking and granting certificates to drivers and service staff on vehicles at the request of members has always been focused on by the Association, and members must strictly follow the regulations.

The Association's Board of Directors agreed on the content and goals of the next term's activities. Photo: PV

In addition, the Association also coordinates with the Nghe An Department of Transport in activities to disseminate and propagate the implementation of State regulations on transport business activities, implementing new regulations in Decree 10/2020/ND-CP dated January 1, 2020 of the Government. The Association's Board of Directors also participates in inspection delegations on transport business with central and local departments, branches and sectors; participates in the Transport Steering Committee during holidays and Tet... In addition, to ensure the rights and promptly resolve legitimate proposals of members, the Association has also recommended that competent authorities consider and resolve issues related to the business environment, creating favorable conditions for members in transport business activities in terms of fixed route management; regulations on transport revenue tax rates; Handling "illegal buses and stations" and "contract vehicles operating as fixed-route buses", vehicles with Lao license plates illegally operating in the area...

In particular, in the past 5 months, in the face of the complicated developments of the Covid-19 epidemic, the Executive Board and leaders of the Association have proactively connected members, closely cooperated with authorities, promptly provided guidance, proposed and organized Covid-19 vaccination for drivers and transport staff. Effectively coordinated with the Department of Transport to mobilize units to support hundreds of shuttle buses to transport citizens from southern provinces who spontaneously returned to their hometowns to avoid the epidemic to localities and centralized quarantine areas.

Business operations of some member companies of Nghe An Automobile Transport Association. Photo: Hoai Thu

Along with that, continue to gather members' opinions to recommend central and local authorities to have solutions, mechanisms and policies to support and remove difficulties for businesses; recommend considering exemption and reduction of interest, fees, restructuring of debt repayment terms; Preferential lending policies, reducing conditions and procedures for lending so that transport businesses can quickly access capital sources; Extend debt, lower lending interest rates for loan contracts to invest in vehicles or are mortgaged at lending institutions;...

During its term, the Association issued more than 500 official dispatches on the following areas: directing members, recommending to authorities, responding, training, commenting on documents, etc. The Association also contributed opinions to the Department of Transport in issuing directive documents, propagating and mobilizing members to properly implement the provisions of State laws in the field of transportation in the area.

From practical activities, playing a good role as a bridge, member transport enterprises have been very secure and confident in the organization, and have been very active and responsible in participating in the Association's activities during the past term, contributing many ideas and supporting the Association's activities such as: Van Minh Company Limited, Van Xuan Nghe An Transport and Trading Joint Stock Company, Tan Khoa Thinh Transport Trading and Service Company Limited, Thach Thanh Transport and Trading Private Enterprise, Dong Bac Construction and Trading Joint Stock Company Branch in Nghe An, ASEAN HM Import Export Company Limited, ...

Overcoming difficulties, improving service quality

In the period from 2015 to 2021, State management of transportation business activities has been increasingly improved, many new regulations have been issued. ActivitiesbusinessAutomobile transport in Nghe An has many positive changes in both quality and quantity in management, operation and service. Overloaded vehicles and illegal bus stops have been limited, contributing to reducing accidents and ensuring traffic order and safety in the area. Transport businesses have focused on improving the quality of passenger service, investing in many new high-quality vehicles, expanding fixed passenger transport routes within and outside the province, opening more bus routes, establishing new taxi passenger transport businesses... creating favorable conditions for people to travel and meeting the needs of society for transporting goods.

However, from 2020 to now, the prolonged Covid-19 pandemic has had a huge impact and caused serious damage to transportation businesses. Transportation business activities have been suspended at many times, especially passenger transport due to regulations on Covid-19 prevention and control. Transportation business revenue has decreased sharply, but output costs such as labor costs, driver and assistant salaries; fuel costs; fees, taxes; bank loan interest... businesses still have to pay, leading to an imbalance in revenue and expenditure...

Nghe An Automobile Transport Association presented 15 gifts, each worth 1 million VND, to poor households in difficult circumstances in Nghi Phuong commune. Photo: Ngoc Khanh

Some passenger transport businesses have temporarily suspended operations or are operating at a low level. “Since the Covid-19 outbreak in Nghe An, the association's transport businesses have encountered many difficulties in passenger transport operations. As for our business, up to now, November 2021, our company has more than 40 buses, but now only 1/3 of them are operating. Many expenses such as salaries for staff, repair costs, fuel for operating the company's vehicles are being compensated for... However, despite the difficulties, with the encouragement and mutual support of the association members, our company still regularly participates in community support activities, epidemic prevention, and maintains transport activities to serve the travel and freight needs of the people" - said Mr. Le Van Khanh - Director of Khanh Quynh Company Limited.

Not only Khanh Quynh Company Limited but many other member enterprises of the Association have also been very active in contributing hundreds of shuttle buses to transport citizens from the Southern provinces spontaneously returning to their hometowns to escape the epidemic from Vinh City to localities and concentrated quarantine areas in Vinh City, Ky Son, Tuong Duong, Nghia Dan... Freight transport units also supported hundreds of buses carrying goods to serve the people during the epidemic.

Most recently, on December 14, the Association presented 15 gifts worth 15 million VND to 15 poor households and families in especially difficult circumstances in Nghi Phuong commune, Nghi Loc district. The Association and its member companies will continue to pay attention to and accompany local volunteer activities for the community, contributing to spreading the spirit of building a healthy and developed community and society.

Nghe An Automobile Transport Association is a social-professional organization of individuals and organizations operating in the automobile transport industry or related to the automobile transport industry, established under Decision No. 236/QD-UBND dated November 25, 2011 of the Chairman of Nghe An Provincial People's Committee. The Association performs its duties and powers as prescribed in the Association's Charter approved by the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee in Decision No. 588/QD-UBND dated February 4, 2016. To date, the Association has 80 members who are road transport service businesses by automobile.

With the goal of uniting members and supporting each other in automobile transportation business activities, after each congress, the Association's Board of Directors will make adjustments and amendments to the operating regulations to increasingly enhance the role, encourage and support members to develop sustainably and overcome difficulties.

In addition to the efforts of its members, the Association will also always listen to and convey the wishes of its members in order to continuously improve the quality of service for people's travel and goods transportation needs and increase business efficiency with member enterprises. One of those wishes is to build a Coordination Regulation between the Association and the Department of Transport to ensure the rights and obligations of member companies. Survey and forecast people's travel needs by passenger cars in the following years to develop and submit to the Provincial People's Committee for promulgation of plans and projects on passenger transport business activities in Nghe An, the number of vehicles needed to participate in passenger transport business. Thereby, supplementing the basis for licensing the establishment of new passenger transport businesses and vehicles, avoiding supply exceeding demand. At the same time, helping businesses operate transport businesses effectively, develop stably, avoid unfair competition, and have conditions to invest in improving the quality of transport services.