HCM City taxi drivers use inner city roads as parking lots even at the risk of being fined, worsening a congestion that is already constricting many parts of the City.

On the morning of August 8, for instance, Tuoi Tre saw taxis lining up on streets like Bui Thi Xuan, Suong Nguyet Anh, Le Lai, Ton That Tung, Ly Tu Trong, Nguyen Du, and Le Thanh Ton. The narrow but busy streets, needless to say, became even more congested.

The same situation was seen on other streets like Nguyen Huu Canh, Pham Ngu Lao, Ham Nghi, Nguyen Binh Khiem, and Dong Khoi, where taxis took turns to occupy the road.

Pointing at the long line of taxis parked in an area with a “non-parking” sign on Bui Thi Xuan Street, Tuoi Tre asked a coordinator of taxi company Vinasun, “Are you not afraid of being penalized for parking in wrong places?”

The man replied calmly: “We accept fines since if we do not park here how can we meet passengers’ orders in time?”

With one side designated as a parking place by the City for private cars, the road is always congested. “Whenever a bus comes, it immediately blocks the road,” a local complained.

Another spot where traffic jams occur frequently is the intersection of Le Thanh Ton and Dong Khoi Streets where one side of the street is occupied by taxis while the other is the drop-off and pickup point for visitors coming to Parkson building.

In front of many hospitals like Tu Du, Orthopedics and Trauma, Cho Ray, Pediatrics 1, Pediatrics 2, Oncology, taxi drivers compete with each other daily for passengers, throwing traffic into chaos.

Many taxis also break traffic laws by picking up and dropping passengers on streets and backing off from or onto roads abruptly.

90 percent taxi firms have no station

The City’s transport development plan envisages that by 2020 an area of 31 hectares will be earmarked as parking lots for around 12,700 taxis.

However, the actual number of taxis is already 13,000 while the area available for their parking is just 2.3 hectares.

For the last few years there has been a competition between taxi companies for parking on roads and the winners are always the bigger firms.

Most taxi operators do not have their own stations due to the costs involved, the owner of one of them said.

Some, like Vinataxi, have chosen to operate mainly in the outskirts because of the parking problem.

Ta Long Hy, chairman of the taxi association, said despite working regularly with the Transport Department, a solution is yet to be found for the taxi parking problem.

The Department has suggested that taxi firms should build their own stations in suburban areas, Hy said. However, it is not feasible due to the time it will take to pick up passengers, Hy explained.

Source: Thanh Nien/Tuoi Tre