Coaches waiting for passengers at Nước Ngầm Station in Hà Nội. — Photo petrotimes.vn

HÀ NỘI — Bus and coach operators in Hà Nội have asked for local authorities’ permission to reduce the number of daily trips due the plunging number of passengers.

The number of passengers taking buses, coaches and taxis in Hà Nội last month dropped dramatically due to the impacts of the ongoing coronavirus disease (COVID-19), according to the city’s Transport Department.

The number of passengers taking trans-provincial coaches at Giáp Bát, Mỹ Đình, Gia Lâm, Nước Ngầm and Yên Nghĩa stations fell by between 40 and 65 per cent.

Nước Ngầm Station suffered the most with a 65 per cent plunge in the passenger volume.

Taxi passenger output also decreased by 50 to 60 per cent.

Means of contract transport such as rail-hailing service and buses taking students to school, workers to factories and tourists to festivals also witnessed output decreases of 70 to 80 per cent.

The output of freight transport in the city saw a 30-per-cent decrease compared to the same period last year.

A number of companies have been affected the most due to owning a large number of vehicles such as Newway Transport Company, Hải Vân, ABC and Quảng An companies, said the transport department’s deputy director Vũ Hà.

The city’s transportation companies proposed State management agencies extend debt and tax payment deadlines and reduce road fees to lessen the burden on the enterprises.

According to the laws, transportation companies will be punished if they do not run at least 70 per cent of routes as approved.

The companies proposed local authorities allow them to cut down on the number of trips without being punished.

Other areas of the domestic transport sector like railway and aviation have also been seriously hurt by COVID-19. — VNS