Transport businesses worry about stopping operations because of driving hours limits

The Law on Road Traffic Safety and Order 2024, effective from January 1, 2025, stipulates that driving must not exceed 48 hours per week, 10 hours per day and 4 hours continuously. This traffic safety goal is believed by many experts and businesses to be in opposition to the actual operations of transportation companies and drivers.

Mr. Nguyen Van Hoang, director of a transportation company in District 12 (Ho Chi Minh City), said that prolonged traffic congestion in hot spots like Cat Lai port is making this regulation unfeasible. Drivers often have to wait hours in traffic jams, but that time still counts toward the continuous driving limit, leading to the risk of violations even when they’re not moving.

“We were pushed into a dilemma: either violate, or stop operating,” Mr. Hoang shared.

Similarly, a director of a transportation business in District 7, Ho Chi Minh City, said his company owns 60 tractors, but is currently only operating with 25 due to difficulties in maintaining drivers.

“If the reality of traffic and congestion is not properly considered, almost all of my company’s drivers are at risk of being fined for continuous driving time violations,” he said. More worryingly, many drivers have decided to change careers because they no longer want to stick with their job.

This situation not only occurs in Ho Chi Minh City but also in many other large cities such as Hanoi and Hai Phong. Most transportation businesses are sitting on “fire” because of this new regulation.

In addition to congestion, unsynchronized traffic infrastructure is also a major barrier for drivers. According to businesses, many national highways and expressways, such as the North-South route, lack rest stops, making it impossible for drivers to comply with the prescribed rest time. Meanwhile, journey monitoring devices, which are expected to be a management support tool, often provide inaccurate data, putting more pressure on both drivers and businesses.

“Arranging additional drivers to meet regulations is impossible for many businesses due to limited vehicle design and operating costs,” said the leader of a transportation company.

Faced with these difficulties, The Vietnam Automobile Transport Association has sent a written petition to the Prime Minister and relevant agencies. The association emphasized that Vietnam’s road system is not synchronized, and prolonged congestion in big cities and main highways makes it difficult for drivers to comply with regulations.

Proposals put forth by the Association include: relaxing driving time regulations from 48 hours to 60 hours per week, adjusting continuous driving time to better suit reality, and improving traffic infrastructure. , adding rest stops, and applying digital transformation in administrative management. Specifically, the Association proposes to use algorithms to automatically update and change vehicle registration certificates, similar to the way the Vietnam Register has implemented automatic renewal of car inspections.

The association also recommends increasing investment in highways, installing more rest stops on main roads, especially arterial traffic sections such as the North-South route. This is considered a long-term solution to reduce congestion and support drivers to comply with regulations without affecting the business operations of transport businesses.

According to experts, the new regulations were introduced with good intentions, to improve traffic safety. However, in the actual context of the traffic system and transportation activities in Vietnam, flexible adjustment is necessary to both ensure safety and maintain stability and development of the transportation industry. load. This is not only a story about regulations, but also a problem about adaptation and support between stakeholders. If not resolved promptly, these difficulties can push many transport businesses into bankruptcy, greatly affecting the economy and social life.