HCM City to get tough on exorbitant taxi fares at airport

The waiting area for taxis at the Tân Sơn Nhất International Airport in HCM City. — VNA/VnExpress News Photo Tiến Lực

HCM CITY — The Transport Ministry has asked HCM City to deal strictly with taxi drivers who aggressively solicit and charge exorbitant fares from passengers at the Tân Sơn Nhất International Airport.

It has said that both traditional and tech-based taxi drivers should be held to account for such behaviour.

The ministry has sent a document asking the Civil Aviation Authority of Việt Nam (CAAV) and the city’s Department of Transport to create more favourable conditions for passengers travelling to and from the Tân Sơn Nhất International Airport.

Many passengers have complained that it is difficult to catch a taxi from the airport to get home, and very high prices are charged. They’ve said that some drivers approach possible customers and “drag” them to their taxis and then demand high prices.

Deputy Minister of Transport Lê Anh Tuấn has asked CAAV, the State-owned Airports Corporation of Việt Nam (ACV) and airport authorities to arrange areas and lanes for picking up and dropping off passengers when numbers rise sharply.

They must ensure safety, security, and order for passengers as they wait for vehicles to pick them up; and prevent soliciting and the charging of abnormal taxi fares, he said.

The ministry has noted that the parking area for waiting needs to be increased to ensure the number of vehicles to meet the needs of passengers.

The ministry has called for adequate parking lots for public buses waiting to pick up and drop off passengers at the airport’s domestic terminal.

Transport connectivity between domestic and international terminals should also be improved to make things more comfortable for passengers, the ministry has said.

It wants the application of technology to support traffic regulation in the airport area.

The CAAV has been tasked to direct the Southern Airports Authority in collaboration with the city’s Department of Transport and other functional forces to strengthen inspection, supervision, and handling of parking and other violations in the airport area. — VnExpress News