Limiting time, leading to reduced income
The Vietnam Automobile Transport Association (VATA) has just issued a document recommending the Prime Minister to adjust the driving time of business car drivers to 70 hours/week. According to VATA, this recommendation is based on data from foreign regulations such as the US, EU and Japan.
Mr. Nguyen Van Quyen - Chairman of the Vietnam Automobile Transport Association said that according to the provisions of Article 64 of the Law on Road Traffic Safety and Order, drivers of automobiles for transportation business are not allowed to drive vehicles for more than 4 consecutive hours, no more than 10 hours/day and no more than 48 hours/week.
However, according to the Chairman of the Vietnam Automobile Transport Association, based on the current status of the road transport system, the total number of hours for car drivers ranges from 60-65 hours/week for road transport under 300km (short routes) and over 65 hours/week for road transport over 300km (long routes).
Therefore, if based on the provisions of the Law on Road Traffic Safety and Order of 48 hours/week, the number of working hours of drivers will be reduced by about 20-30% for short-distance transport and over 30% for long-distance transport. "If this regulation continues to be applied, it will cause drivers to have 20-30% of their income reduced due to reduced working hours" - Mr. Quyen commented.
Sharing with Lao Dong about this issue, Mr. Nguyen Anh Duc - currently a driver specializing in driving the Hanoi - Nghe An route said that the total travel time for a trip is about 5 hours, so if 4 hours of rest are applied while travel conditions are very favorable, it will greatly affect the work and time of both passengers and drivers. For that reason, the bus company had to hire another driver to change shifts while this person could only run for another 15-20 minutes to get there.
"Sometimes when we are traveling on the highway and run out of time to drive continuously, it is very difficult for us to stop. In addition, the regulation of driving for no more than 10 hours/day and 48 hours/week also causes many obstacles when the amount of time is too small compared to the actual situation. In less than a month of application, my estimated income has decreased significantly, which directly affects the daily life of my family" - Mr. Duc shared.
The Chairman of the Vietnam Automobile Transport Association also cited the regulation from 11.4.2007 of the European Union (EU), allowing car drivers to use cars for a maximum of 56 hours/week; the US Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Management Department stipulates the maximum number of car driving hours from 60-70 hours/week; Drivers in Japan are allowed to work for a maximum of 60 hours/week. Therefore, Mr. Quyen believes that the regulation that Vietnam does not have more than 48 hours/week for driving is too low.
"The characteristics of transportation activities in Vietnam only increase during holidays, Tet, and weekends, so the driving time of business car drivers exceeding the prescribed time is not continuous throughout the month or year. At many times, bus companies have stopped operating for a whole month, so there is no shortage of time for drivers to rest..." - Mr. Quyen informed.
According to VATA, the proposal to adjust driving hours for transport business car drivers to up to 70 hours/week like some countries in the world will create favorable business conditions for businesses and improve income for drivers.
Consider your age before increasing driving hours
Discussing this issue with Lao Dong, Prof. Dr. Tu Sy Sua - Senior Lecturer at the University of Transport said that the proposal to increase driving time for drivers of commercial transport cars is reasonable. "The time factor does not determine the overall safety of the trip" - Mr. Sua emphasized.
"Although the solution of limiting driving hours will bring many positive benefits, we need to rely on practical factors such as infrastructure, signal systems, regulations on traffic organization, vehicle density, etc. Therefore, if we only focus on tying drivers to a fixed time frame, we will not be able to fully implement the effectiveness.
In case the driver's health is not guaranteed, 4 consecutive hours, 10 hours/day or 48 hours/week are all too many. However, if the driver's health is good combined with favorable travel conditions, the above figures are hindering the ability and income of drivers. If this situation continues, it will easily lead to the situation" - Senior Lecturer of the University of Transport emphasized.
In order for this solution not to affect transportation companies, drivers' income and especially people's safety, Prof. Dr. Tu Sy Sua said that if adjusting the time to drive for transportation business, it is necessary to consider the age of the driver.
"For young drivers with stable health, it is reasonable to increase regulations on driving time. However, for drivers of older age, although having more driving experience, but due to health and vision factors that are not guaranteed, driving time should be moderate. Adjusting flexible regulations according to the age of drivers not only enhances the driver's ability but also ensures the safety of passengers on each trip..." - Mr. Sua proposed.
