Which agencies have the authority to supplement inter-provincial fixed passenger transport routes in Vietnam

Currently, Article 22 of Circular 12/2020/TT-BGTVT (amended and supplemented by Circular 05/2023/TT-BGTVT), regulates route management as follows:

- For intra-provincial routes: The Department of Transport implements route management tasks as prescribed in Clause 3, Article 4 of Decree 10/2020/ND-CP.

- For inter-provincial routes: The Department of Transport of the issuing spot shall lead, cooperate with the Department of Transport at the other end of the route to implement route management tasks as prescribed in Clause 3, Article 4 of Decree 10/2020/ND-CP and cooperate with the Department of Transport where issues of transport management, order, and traffic safety arise on the route to handle them.

- Periodically, before March 31 each year, the Department of Transport shall construct, adjust, and supplement intra-provincial fixed passenger transport routes; coordinate with the Department of Transport at the other end to construct, adjust, and supplement inter-provincial fixed passenger transport routes and report in writing to the Vietnam Road Administration for consolidation and submission to the Ministry of Transport for publication.

- Periodically, before April 30 each year, the Vietnam Road Administration shall lead, cooperate with the Departments of Transport of provinces and centrally-run cities to consolidate, review, adjust, and advise the Ministry of Transport on the publication of the list of inter-provincial fixed passenger transport network; the Departments of Transport of provinces and centrally-run cities advise the Provincial People's Committee on the publication of the list of intra-provincial fixed passenger transport network.

- Based on the published list of fixed passenger transport networks by the competent authorities, the local Department of Transport (for intra-provincial routes) and the Departments of Transport at both ends (for inter-provincial routes) shall agree and publicly announce on the Department's website the detailed information of each route, including: point of departure, point of arrival, itinerary; the total number of trips and departure times of each trip have operational units and minimum interval times between adjacent trips; station capacity at both ends of the route.

+ Announce periodically before May 15 each year;

+ Announce irregularly outside periodic announcement times in case of adjustments, supplementation to the fixed passenger transport routes, and announced route traffic;

+ Within 7 working days from the date the competent authority announces, the Vietnam Road Administration updates the list of inter-provincial fixed routes, and the Department of Transport updates the inter-provincial fixed route timetable, and the intra-provincial fixed route list and timetable into the Ministry of Transport's online public service system.

- During the implementation process, if there arises a situation such as a new route being put into operation; a newly announced bus station is put into operation, or a bus station ceases operations or due to other arising issues leading to updates, adjustments, or supplementation to the list of fixed passenger transport network, it shall be handled as follows:

+ For intra-provincial fixed passenger transport routes, the Department of Transport consolidates and reports to the Provincial People's Committee for decision;

+ For inter-provincial fixed passenger transport routes, the Departments of Transport at both ends report to the Vietnam Road Administration for consolidation and reporting to the Ministry of Transport for decision.
- In cases of dangerous diseases, natural disasters, storms, floods affecting the operation of fixed routes, the Departments of Transport at both ends shall agree to temporarily reduce the number of actual trips or temporarily suspend the route's operation during the time of dangerous diseases, natural disasters, storms, floods based on enterprise or cooperative proposals or competent authorities' decisions. Report the adjustment results to the Vietnam Road Administration for consolidation and reporting to the Ministry of Transport.