People in Hanoi's Gia Lam District have been using home-made three-wheeled motorbikes without registering them as mini-buses for students while police turn a blind eye.
Three-wheeled motorbike in Duong Xa Commune
This service started in Duong Xa Commune about three years ago. The vehicles can carry from 10 to 15 passengers each. One man, Nguyen Dinh Tham, who claims to have been the first person to make these vehicles, said, "The first one of these I saw came from China and was used to transport wounded soldiers, so it didn't have to be registered. The other two, i had assembled by a little workshop for around VND10-15 million (USD476-714). The engines and brakes are pretty low-quality."
Another driver said that he charges students between VND100,000 and 300,000, depending on the distance. He added that he mainly provided his services to relatives and has not had any accidents.
Nguyen Thi Ha, a citizen of Duong Xa Commune, was not so appreciative of this means of transport, fearing that it could lead to accidents from overloading. Vice Chairwoman of Duong Xa Primary School Nguyen Thi Hien, said they have asked parents not to use these type of services.
Students on their way to school
At the same time, the local authorities and police claim there is no problem with the vehicles in their area. Nguyen Huu Hien, deputy head of the traffic police in Gia Lam District said that patrol officers have reported no incidents. "We would obviously seize these vehicles and fine the drivers, but most of them we found have belonged to veterans to carry their own families. We haven't found any cases where they are used for profit," he said.
Tran Ky Hinh, the head of Vietnam Register, said this type of homemade vehicle has been banned for a long time, and wounded soldiers are only allowed to use three-wheeled bikes for their own transportation. They are forbidden for use in carrying goods or passengers.
