Many boat owners are currently in a dilemma. Boats have been built, money has been borrowed, interest still has to be paid, but vehicles are not allowed to operate.
Some families have invested more than 1 billion VND to build tourist boats since 2023. Nearly three years have passed, the boat is still ashore. There are no income from tourism, while the pressure to repay debt is increasing.
However, from the perspective of state management, not allowing vehicles that do not meet technical conditions to carry passengers is also mandatory.
Because waterway traffic safety is not a matter that can be compromised.
Just one incident on the lake could threaten the lives of dozens of tourists. At that time, the damage is not only economic but also human lives and the reputation of a tourist destination.
Therefore, it is not possible to allow ships that do not yet meet operating conditions because of immediate difficulties.
But it is also impossible to let hundreds of households continue to be deadlocked for many years. What is needed at this time is a reasonable, logical and legal solution to remove obstacles.
According to information from the registration agency, the current obstacles mainly do not lie in the registration stage but stem from the fact that many vehicles are newly built, converted or bought and sold from many different sources but have not fully implemented legal procedures from the beginning.
Some ships lack design documents, some ships cannot determine the year of construction, and must have engines replaced or many technical items added.
Thus, the problem is not to remove regulations but to support people to complete the missing conditions.
For ships that can be repaired, it is necessary to provide specific and public instructions for each item to be supplemented so that people know how to implement it, avoiding the situation of traveling many times, costly.
For specific cases of the Hoa Binh reservoir area, specialized agencies need to soon study and scientifically assess storm and hydrological conditions to consider applying technical standards suitable to reality if conditions are met according to regulations.
If the law allows adjustments according to local characteristics, it needs to be implemented soon.
If there is not enough legal basis, it is also necessary to answer definitively so that people can proactively calculate investment plans, repair or liquidate vehicles.
Thung Nai tourism is considered one of the bright spots of the Hoa Binh lake area in the past. Tourist boats are not only a means of transportation but also a livelihood for hundreds of families.
People need support to overcome difficulties, but that support must be within the framework of the law and put safety first.
