The Ministry of Transport has turned down a proposal sent by the Municipal Transport Association to import three wheeled auto rickshaws to Vietnam, in an effort to limit the use of personal vehicles and ease congestion in the capital.
The ministry categorically disagreed with the recent proposal made by the Municipal Transport Association to import three or four-wheeled auto rickshaws from Thailand and India, where they have been in use for several years.
However, these vehicles are unsuitable for the country and hence the government has decided to turn down the proposal.
Wagon or ox carts and home-made three and four wheel vehicles were banned on streets in the City on January 1, 2008; but the following year the government once again allowed them back, and until now several home-made three and four wheel vehicles can be seen on streets in provinces and cities in Vietnam.
According to the ministry, the Tuk Tuk has been in use in Thailand for several years and in India the three-wheeled auto rickshaw has been very popular. However, these vehicles have proved to be unsafe and environmentally unfriendly.
The ministry said that for sustainable and long-term traffic planning, the capital needs to develop its public transport system like buses, railways, metro trains, in the same way as other developing countries.
In related news, the ministry has no policy which compels all taxis to be of the same color, but transport enterprises have to register their specific color with the ministry, so that the public can identify with their brand and company name.
