VietNamNet Bridge – Hanoi’s Transport Department has piloted taxi pick-up and drop-off stands on two streets for two months, but passengers and drivers remain unaware of them, Lao Dong (Labour) newspaper reported.

Personal cars are parked right next to the sign for taxi pick-up and drop-off points on Ly Thuong Kiet Street. – Photo laodong.vn

Pick-up signs and waiting areas have been set up for taxis at six locations on Ly Thuong Kiet and Tran Hung Dao streets. Each stand is large enough for two taxis to pick up and drop off passengers at the same time. Drivers have two minutes for passengers to embark or disembark from their taxis.

These points are located in densely-populated areas in the centre of the capital city, where demand for transportation is high, aiming to reduce traffic congestion. 

Despite the signs, taxis still ply the streets to pick up passengers.

Long rows of personal cars parked along the streets encroache on the pick-up zones of taxis.

Nguyen Van Binh, a security guard for National Tobacco Corporation on Ly Thuong Kiet Street, said passengers do not wait at pick-up points to catch taxis. Taxi drivers stop anywhere to pick up passengers, even next to pick-up signs, which causes prolonged traffic jams during rush hour.

Dao Thu Trang, working at State Bank of Viet Nam, said, “I usually take a taxi but did not know there was a taxi pick-up point right next to my office. Others also catch taxis at the office gate. No one walks to the pick-up point to get taxis.”

 Even drivers do not know about the pick-up points.

 Driver Tran Van Quang, working for a taxi company in the city, said there is no space for taxis to park at pick-up stands because personal cars block the area.

"It is not feasible to set up taxi pick-up points on narrow streets with a large volume of vehicles. If there is no room for taxis to park to pick up passengers, these signs do not have any meaning,” he said.

Another driver, Tran Van Lai, told Lao Dong that personal cars blocking taxi pick-up points must be strictly fined.

The taxi pick-up and drop-off points will be piloted until January 15 next year. After three months of trial, inter-sectors of the city will review the pilot. 

Source: VNS