Cabs are parked along a street. Traditional taxi and ride-hailing firms can choose to place either a “TAXI” light box or a reflective logo onto their cabs

After being amended 12 times, Decree 10/2020/ND-CP was approved by Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc on January 17 to replace the Government’s Decree 86/2014/ND-CP on business conditions for road transportation firms, reported local media.

Decree 10 allows traditional taxi and ride-hailing service operators to either place a “TAXI” rooftop light box on their vehicles, with the minimum size of 12x30 centimeters, or affix a “TAXI” reflective logo on the front and rear windshields, with the minimum size of the word “TAXI” being 6x20 centimeters.

For taxi firms using software for booking, canceling taxi rides and working out fares, called calculation software, Decree 10 details how their cabs must have a device directly connected with passengers to book and cancel rides.

Also, calculation software must comply with prevailing regulations on e-transactions. The software version for passengers must feature the name and logo of transport operators. Before starting a ride, customers must also be provided with essential information about transport firms, including company name, driver’s full name, license plate number, the ride’s itinerary, distance, and total fares, as well as hotlines for customer feedback.

The new decree also stipulates that if a car spends over 70% of its operating period in a single locality, it needs to install a taxi badge granted by that locality. Calculating a car’s total operating time would be based on its tracking system.

Apart from that, e-charter cars, such as Grab or Be, must have a badge featuring “CHARTER CAR” that is installed on the right of the windshield.

The decree was also supplemented with regulations on developing technology infrastructure and connecting, sharing the vehicle’s tracking data, images, and long term recordings from cameras, in addition to those related to vehicle registration, training and the confiscation of drivers’ licenses.

Further, for business cars with nine seats or above, such vehicles must be equipped with cameras prior to July 1, 2021, to ensure the safety and security of passengers.

Similarly, vehicles transporting goods, such as container trucks, must be installed with cameras to film drivers during their journeys.SGT