Fines of VND800,000 ($41) are now being imposed on taxi drivers who stop or park their cars illegally, and their driving licences are being confiscated for 30 days. It’s now illegal to stop or park in certain places, under Decree 34/2010/ND-CP, which took effect on May 20. While it’s said that the traffic has improved, many taxi drivers are worried about the cost of being caught. 

Mr Vu Van Son, a taxi driver in Hanoi, said that he has just been given back his driving licence by traffic police. “I stopped for a passenger to get out on Chua Boc Street,” he said. “Two traffic policemen said I had parked at the wrong place and fined me VND800,000 and took away my driving license. For 30 days I did nothing.” 

According to Mr Nguyen Van Quan, another taxi driver in Hanoi, the VND800,000 fine is steep but they can pay it. “Losing our driving licences for 30 days is the real problem,” he said. “Drivers just stay at home and can’t earn money. Not working for a month affects a family very much. I’m shocked that such a penalty is being imposed.” 

In a similar situation, Mr Pham Van Bay, a taxi driver in Ho Chi Minh City, lost his license for 30 days last month and was fined VND800,000. “I had five passengers in the taxi, including two old people and a child,” he explained. “They wanted me to stop in front of their house on Truong Chinh Street. I told them that I would be fined if I did so, but they insisted because of the old people and the child. So I stopped in front of their house, and I was fined by a traffic policeman. I couldn’t work for 30 days, and my wife constantly said I was ‘useless’.” 

It can be very difficult to refuse a request from a passenger to stop at a certain point, according to Mr Quan. “I’m lucky if passengers understand the situation I’m in and agree that I stop a hundred metres or so from where they want to go,” he said. “Many passengers complain when I stop a long way from their house, even though I explain that can’t do it,” said Mr Dang Ngoc Hung, a taxi driver in Hanoi. “Many have called the taxi company and complained about poor service. It’s frustrating.”

Mr Hung added that there are now too few legal places to park compared to the number of taxis in Hanoi. “There are only about 30 parking places, which causes us problems because not all passengers get in or out at those places,” he said.

Mr Huynh Ngoc Long, a taxi driver with the Ben Thanh taxi company, said that previously the fine for stopping or parking in the wrong place was VND150,000 ($7.85), which was manageable. And licences weren’t seized. Taxi drivers are at constant risk of being fined, he said. “I earn just enough every day. If I’m fined, I’m penniless.” He doesn’t dare stop too long on the street to wait for passengers, so he drives around waiting for them. “With the new regulations I have to drive around and pay an extra VND40,000 - VND60,000 ($2.09-$3.14) every day for petrol,” he said. “I lose nearly VND2 million ($104.7) every month.” 

According to Mr Son, the new regulation has a negative affect on traffic. Because there are few places to legally park, taxi drivers must simply drive around looking for passengers, which increases the number of cars on the road. He also complained about the added cost of petrol. “And losing our driving licence for 30 days is much too long,” he said. “We are taxi drivers. We have no other means of supporting ourselves and our families if we can’t drive.” He hopes that more parking places will be created, and that driving licences are confiscated for shorter periods of time.