HÀ NỘI — Inspectors of Hà Nội’s Transport Department have identified 29 locations across the city where coaches usually pick or drop off passengers illegally.

Of the locations, 10 locations are in Hoàn Kiếm District, one is in Đống Đa District, two are in Hoàng Mai District, three are in Cầu Giấy, three are in Nam Từ Liêm, four are in Bắc Từ Liêm and six are in Thanh Xuân District.

In the first two months of this year, transport inspectors cracked down on 265 cases related to the picking and dropping of coach passengers at wrong locations.

Under the Government’s Decision 171/2013/NĐ-CP, dated November 2013, fines imposed for such violations range from VNĐ1 million to VNĐ2 million. In addition, those flouting the rules will have their driving licence revoked for one month.

Coaches running on fixed routes are only allowed to pick or drop off passengers at departure and destination points at coach stations.

Coaches that pick up passengers from wrong locations are said to “kill” those which obey the rule.

Deputy Minister of Transport Nguyễn Hồng Trường at a meeting last week said Hà Nội was failing to crack down on the unlawful pick-ups or on illegal coaches that operated without permission.

Previously, on February 28, nearly 100 coaches without passengers, travelling on the routes of Hà Nội-Thái Bình and Hà Nội-Nam Định, drove to Hà Nội in protest. Traffic police stopped the coaches at the Pháp Vân-Cầu Giẽ Expressway tollbooth because they were concerned if the coaches reached downtown Hà Nội it would lead to traffic chaos.

The coaches were among those that were forced to move their departure point from Mỹ Đình Bus Station to Nước Ngầm Bus Station from January 1.

The protest was believed to be an attempt to urge agencies to re-consider the decision as the change in departure point meant less passengers, leading to losses.

“Passengers want to depart from Mỹ Đình Station instead of Nước Ngầm Bus Station. They would rather choose “fake” coaches or catch one along their journey than go to Nước Ngầm,” Trường said.

He asked the Hà Nội’s Transport Department to not grant more licences to vehicles to provide passenger transport services from this month.

Transport inspectors were asked to impose strict penalties, such as revoking the driving licences. — VNS