Strictly handle the problem of passenger buses illegally using Lao license plates and Vietnamese drivers.

(Baonghean) - On June 7, 2016, the Provincial People's Committee issued Decision 2607/QD-UBND to establish an interdisciplinary team to inspect and handle passenger transport vehicles that violate regulations. However, many passenger cars with Lao license plates, with Vietnamese owners and drivers, still operate openly on the roads...

Identify…

A retired long-distance bus driver said that just go to Nghi Kim, the railway overpass, you will see all kinds of buses and trucks with Lao license plates, but the owners and drivers are from Nghe An. If you want to see the "capital" of Lao license plates, take a tour from Dien Ky, Dien Hong, then go up Loi bridge to Do Thanh, to Dien Thap, to Dien Xuan intersection and it will be clear...

"Illegal" bus station for vehicles with Lao license plates under Nghi Kim overpass.

This driver's words were not wrong. Standing on the Nghi Kim railway overpass and looking down, the old National Highway 1 area is now no different from a bus station with the presence of nearly 20 vehicles of all kinds, including trucks and passenger cars. And these vehicles, although bearing the "label" of a Vietnamese company, 100% have Lao license plates. Ask a local resident "if you want to go to Vientiane, which vehicle should you take and where can you buy tickets?". This person replied: "Just ask the vehicle with the name Tuan Viet, it goes to Vientiane. It will depart around 12 o'clock tonight...".

At this "illegal" bus station, Tuan Viet bus company accounts for a large number.

Follow National Highway 1 back to Dien Chau, to Loi Bridge (located on National Highway 1A, at the end of Dien Hong Commune), turn left to go to Do Thanh and Dien Thap Communes - this area is the "capital" of Lao vehicles. Cars and trucks with Lao license plates are everywhere, and there are also dozens of Lao-licensed passenger transport vehicles. Some are in the alleys, some are parked in garages, some are parked along the road, some are going to pick up goods, pick up passengers...

On Highway 1A, through Dien Hong and Dien Ky, Lao-licensed passenger vans blatantly circle around to pick up passengers.

Along the main road of Do Thanh - Dien Thap commune, odd-numbered afternoons (lunar calendar) are very busy; and here, there are many centers to welcome passengers who want to go to Laos to places such as Vientiane, Pakse, Xieng Khouang, Tha Khet... with quite detailed signs introducing the bus company, bus number, schedule, contact phone numbers...

Because the principle of passenger transport between Vietnam and Laos must be registered to pick up and drop off passengers at the station, we contacted Nghe An Bus Station Joint Stock Company. According to the representative of this company, “those passenger vehicles are all “illegal” vehicles, operating illegally…”.

According to Mr. Vo Xuan Thanh, Deputy General Director of Nghe An Bus Station Joint Stock Company, since 2015, his unit has sent documents to the Department of Transport, the Provincial People's Committee and the General Department of Roads to report the situation of vehicles with Lao license plates but the owners and drivers are Vietnamese transporting passengers in violation of the law, requesting strict handling.

The main axis connecting Do Thanh - Dien Thap - Dien Xuan communes has many Lao passenger cars.

In addition, Nghe An Bus Station Joint Stock Company has also monitored the activities of these bus companies, recorded the identities of the vehicle owners and license plates. Accordingly, it has been recorded that there are about 35 passenger transport vehicles with Lao license plates and Vietnamese drivers operating illegally in the province. “These vehicles operate mainly in Dien Thap (Dien Chau), Do Thanh (Yen Thanh)…” – Mr. Vo Xuan Thanh said.

Why are Lao license plate cars "blossoming"?

When asked this question, a major reason mentioned by the Lao car industry is “low investment rate”. The owner of a brand new 2015 Toyota Prado with a bright yellow UN license plate innocently said that “imported cars in Vietnam are subject to huge taxes, while Lao cars are exempt, the price is only half…”. So according to the official price, the Toyota Vietnam Prado is about 2.2 billion VND; while the car he owns is only nearly 1 billion VND.

Lao license plate passenger vans are of poor quality in Dien Thap commune.

A Lao passenger transport driver revealed that the 45-seat Huyndai “straw” car he was driving, if bought in Vietnam, would cost about 1.2 billion; while buying it in Laos would only cost a few hundred million. Moreover, registering for intermodal transport in Laos is very easy. If you own a passenger car with a Lao license plate, you only need to pay a “small” fee through a Lao transport company to complete the necessary procedures for approval by the Lao Transport Department, Ministry of Public Works and Transport. Meanwhile, if you want to register a passenger car with a Vietnamese license plate to circulate in Laos, it is extremely difficult…

Also talking about this content, a traffic inspector analyzed further: “Lao passenger cars do not have regulations on the age of use; do not require the installation of journey monitoring devices; do not have regulations on the transport of goods or people in the vehicle body... Meanwhile, although the Protocol between the two countries stipulates that when operating on Vietnamese territory, vehicles from other countries must comply with Vietnamese law, but in Protocol No. 72 implementing the Agreement, there are regulations to facilitate vehicles between the two countries to cross the border.

For example, Article 6 on “Mutual Recognition” of the Protocol states that “Each Contracting Party recognizes vehicle registration plates, vehicle registration papers, vehicle technical safety and environmental protection certificates and/or inspection stamps, driving licenses and intermodal transport permits issued by the competent authority of the other Contracting Party”.

Therefore, even though vehicles with Lao license plates have technical factors that do not guarantee age or environmental protection, but have full documents issued by the neighboring country, it is very difficult for Vietnamese authorities to handle.

Check and handle it thoroughly!

On June 7, the Provincial People's Committee issued Decision No. 2607/QD-UBND on the establishment of an interdisciplinary team to inspect passenger transport activities by domestic cars and cars with foreign license plates in the province.

Decision 2607 of the Provincial People's Committee.

The interdisciplinary team is responsible for inspecting organizations, individuals and vehicles in compliance with the provisions of the law on passenger transport business by cars with domestic license plates and cars with foreign license plates. At the same time, strictly and properly handle all passenger transport cars that violate the regulations (including the discharge of cars with foreign license plates) according to the provisions of Decree No. 171, Decree No. 107 of the Government and other relevant legal provisions.

In particular, special attention is paid to checking and handling the following behaviors: vehicles without or without badges; running on the wrong route or schedule; picking up and dropping off passengers in violation of regulations; competing for passengers, collecting money from passengers in violation of regulations; carrying more people than the prescribed number; passenger transport vehicles without registering their business as prescribed; technical standards and conditions of vehicles...

Mr. Nguyen Hong Ky - Director of the Department of Transport affirmed: "With the direction of the province in Decision No. 2067, the Provincial Police and the Department of Transport will quickly take action to inspect and strictly handle violating vehicles, especially passenger transport vehicles with Lao license plates and Vietnamese drivers operating illegally. This situation must end...".

Must stop the situation of passenger buses illegally using Lao license plates and Vietnamese drivers.

In reality, the illegal passenger transport activities of vehicles with Lao license plates are making the traffic order and safety situation more complicated, causing public outrage, affecting the transport activities of licensed units. Therefore, the direction of the Provincial People's Committee through Decision No. 2607 is extremely necessary.

However, through research, it is found that there needs to be more effective long-term solutions to strictly handle violating vehicles right at the border gate, which would be considered to have dealt with the root of this problem...".

PV Group