Manage fares well when gas prices fluctuate
(Baonghean) -In recent days, public opinion has been extremely indignant at the so-called inertia of transportation fares despite the fact that input fuel has “fallen freely” many times. Gasoline has been reduced, not just once but many times. Yet transportation fares have not shown any sign of respect or concern for customers, who have essentially been “feeding” them for a long time. The more they request, the more inertia they get, the more gasoline prices are reduced, the more “stable” the fares are. This is not the first time the “carrier” association has tried to “buy time”. The slowness in the journey of reducing fares when gasoline prices go down has been chronic for a long time, and the cure has become ineffective. Every time they talk, every time they are indignant, but every time it happens again. It is all for the sake of two words: benefits, no matter how they beat around the bush. Honestly, the author of this article could not help but laugh when he heard the explanation that could be called “super classic” that the reason for not reducing transportation fares is because of the fear of “wasting time resetting the meter”. There is nothing more to say! When the price of gasoline increased, only 2 days later, taxi operators had “set up” everything, and the fares skyrocketed! Now that the price of gasoline has decreased, they are making it difficult to “set up”. Does that mean that setting up a gear is easier than setting down a gear? Difficult at the right time!
Here, I would like to reveal the somewhat strange fare record of Vietnam so that everyone can easily imagine the level of expensiveness, and at the same time explain for themselves the story of why the economic recession but taxi companies are still competing to spring up like mushrooms after the rain. That is, our taxi fares are among the "big brothers" in the world and "honorably" hold the championship in the region. Let's compare, the average taxi fare in Bangkok is 3,800 VND/km (6 baht), in Manila it is 5,700 VND/km (11.93 pesos), in Jakarta it is 6,300 VND/km (4,000 Rupiah) and even in Singapore, a country famous for being rich, expensive and luxurious, they only dare to charge customers 8,700 VND/km (0.55 S$).
Looking at others and thinking about us, a country that has just entered the middle-income group, why can people "grit their teeth" and accept such expensive fares? The exact answer is left to the authorities. But perhaps we, the people who still have to "call" a taxi every time something happens, can understand the root cause: if it is so expensive, then why don't we take a taxi and walk? The price competition factor is not strong enough to change the opportunity. It seems that the "invisible hand" of the market has not yet entered this "difficult" space.
People can only hope for administrative intervention measures. However, the latest move of the management agency is mainly just "threatening" by saying "if it increases, it must decrease, if it does not decrease, it will be inspected, if (again if) violations are discovered, it will be handled...". Something like that, hearing it many times makes you familiar. Perhaps this is also a management move that is not beyond the expectations of transport businesses! Mr. Nguyen Anh Tuan, Director of the Price Management Department, Ministry of Finance, said that transport businesses that increased fares at the beginning of the year now need to reduce them immediately when the price of gasoline and oil decreases. If they continue to delay, these businesses will be handled according to regulations. Yes, people are still waiting for "handling according to regulations". I really hope so!
We need a strict control mechanism for this sector. Why not set a certain ratio between fuel and fares? Let businesses make up lame excuses like “it takes time to set the meter” which people don’t like to hear. As for businesses, please don’t forget the saying “the customer is king”. Yes, please don’t make “king” laugh!
Nguyen Khac An
