Lack of determination in handling, illegal vehicles run rampant

(Baonghean) - The situation of illegal vehicles, vehicles with contract badges but picking up passengers is on the rise and becoming more and more complicated, causing frustration for many legitimate transport businesses. Although the authorities have inspected and handled the situation, in reality there has been no effective solution.

Illegal vehicles are increasingly rampant

On the morning of November 9, at Que Phong Bus Station, 19/47 fixed-route passenger buses temporarily stopped operating and gathered to protest against illegal passenger transport vehicles. The reason was that fixed-route buses reacted because they believed that recently, private and family-owned vehicles were competing for passengers with fixed-route buses, affecting their revenue.

The owner of TH bus - who has been operating at Que Phong bus station for nearly 10 years, said indignantly: "We invested in buying a bus, registering for a fixed bus route and paying taxes to the State, which costs nearly 5 million VND per month. Meanwhile, illegal buses openly operate to pick up and drop off passengers without having to pay any fees."

Anh Thang bus company brazenly picked up passengers in Vinh City despite having a contract vehicle badge. Photo: PV

Faced with the above situation, the Economic - Infrastructure Department, Que Phong District People's Committee coordinated with Traffic Inspection Team No. 4, Department of Transport and Que Phong Bus Station Management Board to resolve the matter.

Mr. Hoang Xuan Cuong - Captain of Traffic Inspection Team No. 4 said that the "illegal" vehicles that the fixed car owners reported were mainly family cars with 7-9 seats, mainly providing home pick-up and drop-off services.

At the meeting with representatives of bus companies, the authorities received feedback on fixed bus companies and instructed these businesses to make petitions to have a basis for inspecting and handling illegal buses.

In fact, the fact that transport businesses are upset about the situation of "illegal" and disguised contract vehicles has been happening for many years, but the fact that the bus companies have simultaneously suspended operations in protest is unprecedented. According to the bus companies, although in Que Phong there are only about 4-5 "illegal" vehicles with less than 9 seats, these vehicles operate openly, competing for customers with fixed-route vehicles, so the bus companies are very upset.

Mr. Tran Van Nam - Head of Que Phong Bus Station said: "Most of the "illegal" car owners used to run fixed-route buses, now they sell their cars and buy back cars with less than 9 seats to operate as passenger cars. Because they have regular customers, they only need to call and the car will go to the alleys to pick them up at their homes. Although the ticket price is about 20,000 VND higher (Que Phong - Vinh City route) than when traveling by fixed-route bus, the dedicated service is what passengers really like."

Not only fixed-route buses, many bus companies have sent official dispatches to the authorities requesting measures to deal with the situation of "illegal" buses. A representative of Dong Bac Trading and Service Company said that in early November 2017, the unit, along with other businesses operating public passenger transport by bus, sent an official dispatch to the Provincial Police.

Accordingly, businesses are facing many difficulties, prolonged losses, even some units go bankrupt, and have their assets seized by banks. The reason is due to unfair competition from "illegal" cars, pirated cars, and disguised contract cars.

In particular, recently there have been hundreds of 7-9 seater and 12-16 seater vehicles appearing, all without logos, without business registration, without transport business licenses, without parking lots, without registration, declaration, or tax payment to the State.

These vehicles openly stop at bus stops, fight over and solicit passengers, causing disruption to public order and traffic safety, but are not checked or handled, so they operate more and more openly.

Anh Thang bus company brazenly picked up passengers in Vinh City despite having a contract badge. Photo: Nguyen Hung

Mr. Nguyen Dinh Lam - Head of Planning and Transportation Department of Vinh Bus Station Joint Stock Company said that recently, the number of vehicles using contract badges running on fixed routes and vehicles leaving the station has increased. "In essence, vehicles leaving the station are illegal vehicles. Vehicles with contract badges but participating in picking up passengers for a whole month, running like fixed-route vehicles are also illegal vehicles" - Mr. Lam said.

Is it difficult to handle?

According to the Traffic Inspectorate, detecting, checking and handling these vehicles is not easy. “The Traffic Inspectorate force is small, while illegal vehicles operate on many routes, without specific hours. We know that many vehicles are illegal vehicles, picking up passengers illegally, but to have evidence to punish them is not simple,” said Mr. Nguyen Huy Chuong - Deputy Chief Inspector of the Department of Transport.

Mr. Chuong also said that in November 2017, the Department of Transport Inspectorate fined 12 cases of 7-9 seat vehicles, without business registration but illegally picking up passengers. Accordingly, the fine for this violation is 8.5 million VND, but if the offense is repeated a second time, the highest fine will be 10 million VND and the vehicle will be impounded.

However, up to now, the handling of illegal vehicles and disguised contract vehicles has only been carried out in Vinh City, and has not been handled in other localities.

Assessing the handling of illegal vehicles, disguised contract vehicles, and vehicles leaving the station in the past as "not drastic", Mr. Nguyen Dinh Lam - Head of Planning and Transport Department of Vinh Bus Station Joint Stock Company said that it is necessary to increase forces to inspect and strictly handle transport enterprises with vehicles violating, resolutely revoke the badges of violating vehicles and absolutely not issue new contract badges to enterprises with vehicles violating the above. In particular, it is necessary to strictly handle transport units with many vehicles violating, long-term, and systematic.

It is known that after the incident of a series of fixed-route vehicles in Que Phong reacting, Nghe An Department of Transport issued an official dispatch requesting direction to handle cars with less than 9 seats participating in passenger transport in violation of regulations.

Accordingly, the Department of Transport requested the People's Committees of districts, cities and towns to compile statistics, review and make a list of individuals and families in the area showing signs of using cars with less than 9 seats to participate in illegal passenger transport business activities (illegal cars).

After having the list, send a notice to the vehicle owners requesting strict compliance with the provisions of the law on business conditions for passenger transport by car. However, up to this point, the districts have not sent a report to the Department of Transport.

And according to the leader of the Traffic Inspectorate (Department of Transport), the responsibility for handling the situation of illegal vehicles and disguised contract vehicles belongs to the local authorities. If the locality confirms that there are no illegal vehicles but the authorities detect them, the locality must take responsibility.

Nguyen Hung