Several unregistered passenger buses are found disguising as tourist buses to operate across Hanoi.
Bus picks up passengers at a university campus
One of the unofficial stops is at the campus of the Hanoi University of Mining and Geology.
"I have seen buses come and go for four years now. It really affects the educational environment," said a final-year student.
The buses go in the campus twice every day, one in the morning and the other in the afternoon. At each arrival, passengers from everywhere would rush to get on or off, causing a ruckus, unsightly scene inside the school.
The new passenger buses that have shown up have logos of tourist companies on the windshield or the side as a proof that they are tourist buses. Many passengers have complained about reckless driving and unscheduled, out of the way drop-off points, including My Dinh Bus Station.
The unofficial bus stops are not unique to educational centres. There is a well-known stop outside of a tourist agency on Tran Khat Tran Street. The agency even has a sign that advertises 'buses with beds serving the Hanoi-Hue-Saigon route'. This stop often has hundreds of people waiting on the pavement for trips back to their businesses or homes.
Workers at the agency said it has three trips Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City per day, at 5pm, 6pm and 7pm. The fare to Hue is VND300,000 (USD14.3), and to Ho Chi Minh is VND600,000 (USD28.7). They also gave warning to would-be customers that the trip from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City would take about two days and two nights.
Hoang Van Manh, Vice Chief Inspector of the Hanoi Department of Transport added that there are many buses running under false brands. "The Inspectorate of Transport has dealt with a number of such cases. But the penalty is lax and doesn't serve as an effective deterrent. Soon we will enforce stricter sanctions and better enforcement," he said.
According to Manh, passenger buses that operate in the city must have predetermined routes with regular stops. Unregistered buses cost the government a significant amount of revenue, he added.
Unregistered passenger bus
