Frustrations in bus operations in Nghe An

(Baonghean.vn) - In Nghe An province, there are currently 13 public bus routes allowed to operate with nearly 400 trips per day. The number of buses has tended to increase recently. Although it creates convenience for people to travel, it also brings with it many consequences.

Buses – public transport is increasingly chosen by many people, especially students because it is both convenient and cheap. However, besides the practical benefits that buses bring, there are still many opinions that are not satisfied, even angry when traveling by this means of public transport.

Nguyen Thi Trang Thanh, a student at Vinh University, who often travels by bus, said: “On weekends, I often take the bus back to my hometown in Ha Tinh. In the afternoon, the buses are crowded, so the bus station is often packed with passengers and cramped. Many times, the bus swerves and speeds up, making me feel tired and insecure.” Nguyen Van Son expressed his frustration: “Riding the bus is often crowded and chaotic, very inconvenient. Once, my phone was stolen on the bus.”

Buses jostle each other when passing through the station (on Mai Hac De street, Vinh city).

Frequently traveling on bus routes from Dien Chau to Vinh for medical treatment at the Endocrinology Hospital, Mr. Tran Thai Phien (Duc Thanh - Yen Thanh) always chooses the bus as his means of transportation. However, he is not satisfied with the inadequate fare collection: "I often travel from the convex bridge (Dien Chau) to Vinh, but some buses charge 20,000 VND, others charge 25,000 VND. There are too many buses, sometimes they are very chaotic."

In addition, buses have become "highway demons" in the eyes of many people. Ms. Tran Quynh Trang (Hung Phuc ward, Vinh city) was upset: "I often see buses speeding, overtaking recklessly, even weaving and honking loudly, it's very annoying. At the intersection of Nguyen Sy Sach and Nguyen Van Cu street, I have witnessed many times buses running red lights, overtaking other cars on the right side, and encroaching on lanes."

Some drivers and bus assistants on bus routes also confirmed that their vehicles were speeding compared to the regulations. Mr. Hoang Anh, bus assistant driver of bus route 26, Dong Bac Company said: "There are also a few cases where the buses run faster to meet the company's regulations, which stipulates every 20 minutes/trip. Because some buses at the bus station have problems, the drivers have to increase the speed a bit to push the "speed" up."

Buses of many companies were present at Vinh University bus station at the same time, causing traffic congestion and disorder (photo taken on the morning of April 23)

Opening more routes and increasing bus trips during the period has greatly facilitated people's travel. However, there have also been many problems. Notably, bus companies have shown signs of competing for passengers at the pick-up stations, causing congestion, with some buses even "staying at the station" to wait for passengers.

A motorbike taxi driver who regularly visits the Vinh University bus stop said that many buses stop for a long time, or stop to pick up passengers, causing traffic congestion and affecting traffic safety and order here. Normally, the traffic police force has a hard time maintaining order at this point.

Vinh city is located in the south of the province, so the planning and arrangement of bus routes from Vinh to districts and towns overlaps quite a lot, making it increasingly difficult for businesses to exploit and operate this type of transport, leading to consequences such as: unfair competition, buses skipping routes, running on the wrong route, etc.

A bus driver of Phuong Thao bus company No. 28 running the Vinh - Do Luong route said: "There are 5 routes on the Vinh - Do Luong route alone, with many buses, so passengers are divided among themselves."

The problem is not only the need to rectify "bus culture" but also the need to solve the problem of planning and arranging bus routes, which still has many shortcomings today.

Moonlight