HÀ NỘI — The Directorate for Roads of Việt Nam (DRVN) has asked provinces and cities of Hưng Yên, Hải Dương, Hải Phòng and and Hà Nội to set up more bus stops along National Highway 5.

The purpose is to make travel more comfortable for passengers and restore traffic order.

National Highway 5 is a major road in northern Việt Nam connecting Hà Nội to the port city of Hải Phòng. Coaches operating along the Hà Nội-Hải Phòng route transport some 10,000 travellers per day.

However, the lack of bus stops and frequent violations by transport firms while picking and dropping passengers have resulted in disorder and threatened traffic safety along the road.

Following an on-site inspection, the DRVN asked transport departments to set up 11 more bus stops in Hưng Yên Province, 16 more in Hải Dương Province and with more in Hải Phòng City, along with clear signs on the stops.

In Hà Nội, the inspection revealed that the bus stops were small and too narrow, not equipped to handle the several coaches going back and forth to pick and drop passengers at a time. This had led to traffic jams, disorder and was unsafe.

The DRVN asked Hà Nội’s Department of Transport and related agencies to allocate funds for building larger bus stops in Gia Lâm District.

It also asked provincial transport departments and related agencies to closely monitor the situation at the bus stops to determine necessary adjustments.

Khúc Hữu Thanh Hải, director of Đất Cảng Transport and Service Joint-stock Company, applauded the proposal and suggested building of bus stops at every 5km in cities and every 10km in the suburbs.

“When there are more designated bus stops, people will know the exact place and time to catch the coach, instead of standing wherever they want along the road,” he said.

Hải said transport firms operating on this route were willing to set up bus stops on their own as long as the state management agencies had an overall plan. He suggested that transport firms joining the plan commit to not violate regulations.

“Any coach picking or dropping passengers away from the bus stops must be strictly penalised, even if it means withdrawing the business licence. Only then will coaches dare not stop along the road to pick up commuters or fight amongst themselves for passengers,” Hải said. — VNS