Is it mandatory to install a led signboard on a taxi in Vietnam? How much is penalty for failing to install a led signboard which is removable on a taxi in Vietnam?

Is it mandatory to install a led signboard on a taxi in Vietnam?

In Clause 1, Article 6 of Decree 10/2020/ND-CP stipulates taxi business as follows:

1. Automobiles used for taxi business shall:

a) Have the “XE TAXI” (“TAXI”) signage affixed beneath the front windscreen on the right-hand side and have all required information affixed on their bodies;

b) Have the “XE TAXI" (“TAXI”) phrase, which is made out of retroreflective material and 06 x 20 cm in size, affixed on the front and back windshields; or

Have an LED “TAXI” signboard of at least 12 x 30 cm installed on the top of their roofs;

c) If the time a passenger automobile operates in a locality accounts for 70% of its total operating time in a month, it must obtain the signage from that locality; the total operating time shall be determined using the data obtained from its tracker.

Thus, according to the above regulations in Vietnam, the installation of led signboards on taxis is not mandatory because it is possible to choose whether to mount it permanently or not. If you choose to mount the led signboard on a permanent vehicle, the minimum size is 12 x 30 cm.

How much is penalty for failing to install a led signboard which is removable on a taxi in Vietnam? 

According to Clause 4, Clause 10 and Clause 11 Article 28 of Decree 100/2019/ND-CP as amended by Point d Clause 15 Article 2 of Decree 123/2021/ND-CP providing for penalties for violations against regulations on road transport and ancillary services for road transport are as follows:

4. A fine ranging from VND 3,000,000 to VND 4,000,000 shall be imposed upon an individual, from VND 6,000,000 to VND 8,000,000 upon an organization that commits any of the following violations:

a) Failure to provide transport order and transport permit for drivers as per the law;

b) Failure to register and put up or accurately and adequately put up information about the routes, starting points and destinations, charges, quality standards of the transport services or ancillary services, except for the violations specified in Point dd Clause 2 of this Article;

c) Using a 09 seater vehicle or bigger as a passenger taxi;

d) Operating a passenger taxis without attaching the “TAXI” roof light box and failure to attach the “XE TAXI” (“TAXI”) phrase to the front and rear windshields as prescribed or attaching the “TAXI” roof light box or the “XE TAXI” (“TAXI”) phrase which is removable, has incorrect dimensions or is not made of retroreflective material); failure to affix a phone number or affixing a phone number other than that specified in the certificate of enterprise (cooperative) registration;

dd) Operating contract-based vehicles providing passenger transportation services and vehicles providing tourism transportation services without including the phrase “XE HỢP DỒNG” (contract vehicle) in case of contract-based vehicles and “XE DU LỊCH” (tourism vehicle) in case of vehicle for tourism transportation on the front and rear windshields as per the law or improperly including the 2 phrases above (not fixed, incorrect dimensions and made with materials other than reflectors);

e) Failure to issue “Thẻ nhận dạng lái xe” (driver identification) for drivers as per the law; 

g) Employing drivers and attendants who are not trained in passenger transport and road safety (if the type of transport requires that drivers and attendants be so trained);

h) Employing drivers and attendants without employment contracts;

i) Failure to develop procedures to ensure traffic safety or failure to adequately develop as per the law or failure to follow the procedures for ensuring traffic safety as per the law;

k) Failure to assign personnel to directly operate transportation activities or failure to satisfy requirements after assigning as per the law;

l) Using the vehicles of cooperative members to provide transport services without written agreements between such members and the cooperative; or using vehicles that are not under their right to enjoyment to provide transport services;

m) Failure to park in designated areas;

n) The information in the transport order is not completely certified by the station or not certified at all, or the transport order is certified while the vehicle is not present at the station;

o) Failure to notify content of the passenger transport contract to the Provincial Department of Transport before executing such contract;

p) Picking up, selling tickets, charging and verifying booking for individual passenger in case of contract-based vehicles providing passenger transportation an vehicles providing tourism transportation; designating fixed routes to serve different customers or other service recipients in case of contract-based vehicles providing passenger transportation;

g) Operating a passenger vehicle without seat belts at seats and beds as per the law (except for provincial bus lines);

r) Operating contract-based passenger vehicles and vehicles providing tourism transportation whose number of trips sharing departure locations and sharing destination exceed the limit as per the law;

s) Operating contract-based passenger vehicle and vehicles providing tourism transportation without complying with regulations on picking up and disembarking passengers at head offices, branch offices, representative offices or other specific locations hired or cooperated with transport service providers;

t) Operating taxis, contract-based passenger vehicles and vehicles providing tourism transportation whose 70% of total operational period in a month in a province (or central-affiliated city) without possessing the badges issued by Departments of Transports of corresponding province (or central-affiliated city).

10. Apart from incurring fines, the violator shall also incur the following additional penalties:

a) The violation(s) specified in Point h Clause 2; Points a, b, d, dd, e, g, h, l, o, p, q, r, s and t Clause 4; Points d, dd, e, g, i, k, l, m, n, o, p and q Clause 6; Points e and i Clause 7 of this Article shall lead to suspension of (available or issued) badges of violating vehicles from 1 month to 3 months;

b) The violation(s) specified in Points i and k Clause 4; Point h Clause 6; Points b and h Clause 7 of this Article shall lead to suspension of license for transport services from 1 month to 3 months;

c) The violation(s) specified in Points d, dd, i and m Clause 6 of this Article shall also lead to suspension of driver license from 1 month to 3 months if transport service providers are direct operators of violating vehicles;

d) The violation(s) specified in Point i Clause 7 of this Article shall also lead to suspension of driver license from 2 months to 4 months if transport service providers are direct operators of violating vehicles;

dd) The violation(s) specified in Point i Clause 6 of this Article shall lead to confiscation of vehicles (except for cases in which automobiles with 10 seats or more providing passenger transportation services whose service life exceeds regulations on business conditions of registered business form less than 20 years from the year of manufacture and automobiles with less than 10 seats providing passenger transportation services);

11. Apart from incurring penalties, following remedial measures shall also be adopted:

a) The violation(s) specified in Points a, b, c, d and dd Clause 2; Point b Clause 4 of this Article shall lead to adequate and accurate registration and declaration of information as per the law;

b) The violation(s) specified in Points d and dd Clause 4 of this Article shall lead to installation of roof signs specifying “TAXI” or enforced display of phrases “XE TAXI” (taxi), “XE HỢP DỒNG” (vehicle operated under contracts) or “XE DU LỊCH” (vehicles for tourism);

c) The violation(s) specified in Point e Clause 4 of this Article shall lead to issuance of driver identification for vehicle operators as per the law;

d) The violation(s) specified in Point g Clause 4, Point dd Clause 7 of this Article shall lead to organization of professional training or periodic medical check-up for vehicle operators and personnel working on vehicles as per the law;

dd) The violation(s) specified in Point h Clause 4 of this Article shall lead to entering into contracts with vehicle operators and personnel working on the vehicles as per the law;

e) The violation(s) specified in Point i Clause 4 of this Article shall lead to development and adoption of procedures for traffic safety as per the law;

g) The violation(s) specified in Point k Clause 4 of this Article shall lead to assignment of eligible personnel to directly operate transportation as per the law;

h) The violation(s) specified in Points q Clause 4; Points dd, n and o Clause 6 of this Article shall lead to installation of cameras, seat belts, taximeters, receipt printers and tracking devices on the vehicles as per the law;

i) The violation(s) specified in Points c and p Clause 6 of this Article shall lead to provision, update, transmission, storage and management of information from tracking devices and cameras installed on the vehicles as per the law; provision of username and password to access software processing data from tracking devices of the vehicles or to the servers for competent agencies as per the law;

k) The violation(s) specified in Point d Clause 6 of this Article (in case of charging beyond the limit) shall lead to return of illegal profit earned from the administrative violation;

l) The violation(s) specified in Points k and l Clause 6 of this Article shall lead to adequate and accurate preparation, update and storage of vehicles’ background, occupation background of drivers 

Therefore, if you have chosen to fix the light box with the word "TAXI" but you do not install it, you will be fined from VND 3,000,000 to VND 4,000,000. In addition, you are also deprived of the right to use badges from 01 to 03 months and forced to attach a light box with the word "TAXI" in Vietnam.

Best Regards!