VietNamNet Bridge – Ha Noi People’s Committee is considering giving transport allowances to government officials or senior leaders to use public transport for their work.

A traffic police officer talking to a driver in Ha Noi’s Hai Ba Trung District. The city’s People’s Committee is considering giving transport allowances to government officials to use public transport to go to work. — Photo Phapluoatdoisong.net

Nguyen Duc Chung, Chairman of the Ha Noi People’s Committee, instructed the City Department of Finance to draft a proposal to give lump sums to officials to use public transport for their work instead of office cars.

Tran Quoc Thuan, former Vice Chairman of the National Assembly Office said the proposal was positive.

“The plan comes right at a time when the nation is facing financial difficulties with foreign debt and bad debts mounting while the country’s natural resources are being depleted”, Thuan said.

He recalled that more than a decade ago, the government piloted a plan to give VND4.5 million ($200) a month to government officials who were entitled to use office cars to instead use public transport. Thuan was one of the first to implement that plan.

“Instead of using the office car, I hired a “xe om” (motorbike taxi) to go to work”.

But the plan’s life was very short. Things returned to the old way, Thuan lamented.

“To ensure the plan is a success, all high ranking Ha Noi official should lead the way in using public transport”, Thuan emphasised.

VNS