The secretary of Hanoi's Party Committee, Pham Quang Nghi, conducted surprise check on the bus service in the city on March 12, however many people said his inspection was not effective.
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| Secretary Pham Quang Nghi (centre) on bus number 48 on March 12. |
The first destination on the trip was the repair service centre on 29 Lac Trung Street, where the maintenance services for hundreds of buses are carried out daily. On the first bus, Nghi had to stand during the trip because all the seats were taken during the morning rush hour. The secretary talked to a passenger on the bus who told him that she had been riding bus for 8 years and never had anything stolen or any other problems.
Nghi then visited the control centre of Hanoi Transport and Services Corporation (Transerco). According to Nguyen Thuy, head of the centre, they manage over 1,000 buses with modern technology to detect what buses in congested areas and whether buses is speed or run red lights.
The director of Transerco, Nguyen Phi Thuong, said, "Thanks to better management technology and methods, we've been able to overcome the recession. In 2013, the government had to give us VND750 billion in support, but the amount is down to VND689 billion this year." Thuong further said authorities of HCM City thought highly of their work, even though bus service in Hanoi ranks average in the region, according to the evaluation of Japan International Cooperation Agency. In May, the local Department of Transport will open five more routes.
At the centre, Nghi also said there are a huge crowds of people blocking the doors whenever the bus comes to a stop. "Driver's assistants often waste a lot of time asking for tickets so it would be useful if passengers hold up their tickets immediately when they step on board," he said.
Speaking about security on buses, major-general Tran Thuy, deputy head of police force in Hanoi, said compared to last year, the number of bus accidents decreased sharply and they have only recorded four cases. The police and Transerco are working together to prevent robberies.
Nghi said that many people, especially low-income earners, still depend on bus service, and the company needs to improve to meet diverse customer demands. Ticket prices are an important issue and need to be increased slowly and carefully. Moreover, bus service is reaching the saturation point and Vietnam needs to implement other means of public transit.
However, many readers of DTiNews commented that the secretary's trip was superficial and ineffective. Many commented suggesting that Nghi take another surprise trip and disguise himself as normal passenger to witness the more serious shortcomings of the service, especially speeding and the rude attitude of driver assistants.
