Regulations on passenger transport business by fixed-route automobile in Vietnam from January 1, 2025

Regulations on passenger transport business by fixed-route automobile in Vietnam from January 1, 2025​ (Image from the Internet)

On December 18, 2024, the Government of Vietnam issued Decree 158/2024/ND-CP providing regulations on road transport activities.

Regulations on passenger transport business by fixed-route automobile in Vietnam from January 1, 2025​

Article 4 of Decree 158/2024/ND-CP provides regulations on passenger transport business by automobile on fixed routes from January 1, 2025 as follows:

(1) Transport business units with a transport business license by automobile, which includes the form of passenger transport business on fixed routes, may register to operate the route in accordance with Article 22 of Decree 158/2024/ND-CP.

(2) Fixed routes must start and end at passenger terminals that have been announced for operation.

(3) The Department of Transport of Vietnam manages the route content

- Construct, adjust, supplement, and announce the list of provincial fixed route networks; coordinate with the Department of Transport at the other end of the route to construct, adjust, supplement, and announce the interprovincial fixed route network according to the principle of maintaining announced routes; for provinces and cities with bus stations ensuring organized transport following the route direction, the start and end points shall be bus stations in that direction;

- Announce the bus schedule according to the route and update into the route network directory including: the maximum number of trips that can be operated on the route, minimum time gaps between consecutive trips, departure times of trips already registered for participation; notify the list of units currently operating on the system of public services of the Ministry of Transport; construct and announce passenger pickup and drop-off points on the routes;

- Monitor, compile operational results of transport units and bus stations on the route.

(4) Automobiles conducting passenger transport on fixed routes in Vietnam

- Must provide priority seating for persons with disabilities, the elderly, and pregnant women;

- Must have the label "FIXED ROUTE VEHICLE" according to Template No. 01 of Appendix XIII attached to Decree 158/2024/ND-CP affixed permanently at the top right corner just below the inspection stamp, inside the front windshield of the vehicle;

- Must display all information on the vehicle.

(5) Automobiles used for passenger shuttle transport in Vietnam

- Use automobiles with up to 29 seats (excluding the driver's seat);

- Must have the label "SHUTTLE VEHICLE" according to Template No. 02 of Appendix XIII attached to Decree 158/2024/ND-CP affixed permanently at the top right corner just below the inspection stamp, inside the front windshield of the vehicle; must display all information on the vehicle;

- Can only operate shuttle passenger transport within the local area (provincial level) where the "SHUTTLE VEHICLE" label is issued.

(6) Regulations on augmenting vehicles to alleviate passenger congestion on fixed routes

- Augmenting vehicles during holidays, Tet, and national high school examinations, university, and college admissions: passenger transport business units currently operating on fixed routes, based on travel demand, coordinate with bus stations to construct a vehicle augmentation plan on the route; send the augmentation plan to the Department of Transport at both ends of the route for coordination and management;

- Augmenting vehicles on weekends (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday) experiencing a sudden increase in passengers: passenger transport business units currently operating on fixed routes, based on travel demand, coordinate with bus stations to construct a vehicle augmentation plan on the route; notify the Department of Transport at both ends of the route for execution throughout the year.

Based on the notified vehicle augmentation plan to the Department of Transport at both ends of the route and actual passenger flow at the bus station, the bus station confirms the augmentation trip in the transport order of the exploiting transport business unit when executed. Vehicles used for augmentation must have valid labels as "FIXED ROUTE VEHICLE," "CONTRACT VEHICLE," or "INTERPROVINCIAL BUS."

(7) Passenger bus station service units confirm into the transport order of the transport business unit when the vehicle departs. The confirmation includes: vehicle registration plate, number of passengers, and departure time.

(8) Passenger transport business units by automobile on fixed routes must retain transport orders of executed trips for a minimum period of 3 years.

For more details, refer to Decree 158/2024/ND-CP effective from January 1, 2025.

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