HCM CITY (VNS)— Unlicensed and other fraudulent taxis that fleece customers continue to be a major headache for HCM City authorities.
The Department of Transport reported that one in 15 taxis in the city operates without a licence, and its inspectors have discovered and fined many of them.
It revoked the licences of two taxi operators but there are fears they may still be operating clandestinely.
The illegal taxis are mostly driven by people who used to work for big taxi companies before quitting and starting their own operation.
More and more disgruntled customers, local and foreign, are complaining about the illegal taxis.
Another form of fleecing is by using the names of trusted operators.
Vinasun and Mai Linh, the two most popular names in the business, are also the most popular names for the illegal operators to use.
The companies have taken legal proceedings against fake taxis, bringing hundreds of impostors to trial.
The department said the best way to tackle the problem is for its inspectors to establish close links with the traffic police, taxi operators, and local authorities.
In 2010 the city government banned fleet expansion by taxi companies as it sought to improve oversight of taxi operations, which had become difficult due to the explosion in the number of vehicles.
The regulation allows the city’s 36 taxi businesses and co-operatives to only replace old vehicles.
This has also allowed many taxi operators in neighbouring provinces like Binh Duong, Dong Nai, and Long An to develop their business in the city.
The number of taxis on the city’s streets has skyrocketed to more than 12,500, or 84 per cent of the number expected to operate by 2020.
Experts estimate that they meet 2-3 per cent of the city’s public transport needs. — VNS
Đăng ký: VietNam News