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A taxi cab in Hanoi
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Transport authorities are going to launch more inspections into taxi operations in Vietnam’s large cities to protect customers from incidents such as being beaten or ripped off.
Eight taxi firms have been suspended in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City following inspections by the Transport Ministry last month.
During an inspection in September, Vietnam’s Transport Ministry also banned three taxi firms Petrolimex, Festival and Happy from Tan Son Nhat International Airport in HCMC due to many violations.
Six of the 12 firms inspected in Hanoi have been suspended because they did not have a car business permit and they were operating with no business plans or professional management. Many of the taxi cabs used unqualified meters and were run by unqualified drivers.
Nguyen Xuan Hao, chief inspector of the ministry, said in a Monday report on news website VnExpress that the ministry “will not let people be scared every time they are riding cabs in Hanoi.”
Hao said many taxi firms in Hanoi have received complaints from their passengers but they did not improve their service.
He said other taxi firms scheduled to be inspected in the two cities have received even more complaints than the inspected firms. Thus, a lot more firms are expected to be put out of service, the inspector said.
“Taxi cabs are affecting tourism ⦠They must be put back in order,” he said.
Hao said he would suggest raising the punishment for taxi driver violations, given that the current penalty of VND1.5 million (US$71) if the driver beats customers is too low.
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