VietNamNet Bridge – Hanoi authorities will apply various measures to restore order in the taxi market, including halting the establishment of new taxi companies, setting rules on color of taxis, etc.
According to the Hanoi Department of Transport, by March 2011, the city had 133 taxi firms, totaling over 15,000 cars. The density of taxis in Hanoi reaches 4.5 cars per 1sq.km and 2.33 cars per 1,000 residents. The rates are quite low in comparison with Bangkok and Beijing. However, up to 80 percent of cabs operate in 10 inner districts, resulted in the shortage of parking lots. Most of taxi cars park on pavements and roads.

The mushrooming and the unequal distribution of taxi services has partly caused snarls-up and unhealthy competition among taxi firms.

Up to 43 percent of tax companies have less than 50 cars and only 39 percent of them have more than 100 cars. Most of small firms use unqualified taxi drivers and cars.

To better manage tax services, the Hanoi Department of Transport has submitted a taxi management plan to the local government, which will be implemented in the next four years.

Accordingly, Hanoi will restrict taxi operation in the inner area by halting the establishment of new taxi firms, imposing transport infrastructure development fees on taxi firms that operate on the belt road 3, applying taxi restriction policy in some areas.

In addition, as of 2012, newly-registered taxis must obey the regulations on paint color. Taxi firms have to change the color of their cars under a certain roadmap. All cabs must have charge meter-printer. Taxi bill must include certain information, for example the address of the tax firm, the code of the car, the starting and finishing time of the trip, the charges, etc.

After 2015, all taxis must be painted in the colors fixed by the authorities. Taxi firms are encouraged to invest in equipment to serve the disabled and each firm must have at least 30 percent of cars that use clean fuels (CNG, LPG, LNG).

The city will arrange stops on major streets, at hotels, shopping malls, hospitals, schools, etc.

Taxi drivers will be tested periodically.

Le Anh