Acknowledging obstacles from the shipbuilding stage
Ship owners admitted that self-building and putting ships into operation when they did not fully meet regulations caused 14 tourist boats in Son La lake to anchor, waiting to remove obstacles regarding dossiers and registration.
The prolonged suspension of operations affects ship owners, workers and local tourism activities.
According to Mr. Dang Van Giau - Director of Quynh Nhai Aquaculture and Ecotourism Cooperative, part of the reason stems from the process of building new vehicles in previous years.
Many ships were built locally in the period 2018 - 2023. At that time, ship owners mainly based on actual operating needs, not fully implementing the requirements on design, appraisal, construction supervision and registration documents.
Therefore, when carrying out registration and inspection according to current regulations, some vehicles lack original dossiers and do not have sufficient documents proving the new construction process.
Previously, we did not fully anticipate the requirements for design, construction supervision and registration documents. When we carried out procedures according to regulations, problems arose from before," Mr. Giau said.
In addition to the dossier, each vehicle also needs to be inspected for the shell, frame, machinery, equipment and technical items to determine the possibility of repair, repair or new construction.
Removing obstacles must be lawful and ensure safety
Talking to Lao Dong reporters, Mr. Bui Trong Thang - Deputy Director of Son La Provincial Department of Construction - said that 14 ships had to temporarily suspend operations because they did not meet the conditions for registration and inspection.
From April 2026 to now, the Department of Construction has coordinated with relevant agencies, inviting the Center for Inspection of Waterway Vehicles and Marine Works, Vietnam Register to review and actually inspect each vehicle. At the same time, propagate and point out issues that do not meet the conditions for registration and inspection with tourist boats in Quynh Nhai commune.
Based on the inspection results, specialized agencies have identified handling plans for each ship owner. Ships that are still capable of remedy will be guided to complete dossiers, repair, reinforce or replace items that do not meet requirements.
After completion at a qualified facility, the vehicle will be inspected and registered, and licensed to operate according to regulations.
The point of view is to remove difficulties for people but must ensure compliance with regulations. Ships that can be repaired and overcome to meet requirements will be guided for implementation; in case safety cannot be ensured, the travel agency must consider a new construction plan," Mr. Thang said.
For vehicles that must be newly built, the design, construction and supervision process must be carried out in accordance with regulations from the beginning, completing complete dossiers before registration, inspection and passenger transportation.
Mr. Tong Xuan Truong - Vice Chairman of Quynh Nhai Commune People's Committee - said that the locality wishes to soon remove obstacles so that the operation of tourist boats can be restored, meeting the sightseeing needs of tourists. However, bringing vehicles back into operation must ensure full conditions, in accordance with regulations and safety.
Decisively handling the existing problems of the fleet not only helps restore passenger transport activities but also creates a foundation for Son La lake tourism to be invested methodically, improve service quality and effectively exploit lake tourism potential.
