Transport ministry pilots use of app-based taxi firms
The Ministry of Transport has applied information technology to support the management and connection of commercial passenger transportation by contract (GrabCar) during a two-year trial period.
Hanoi (VNA) - The Ministry of Transport has applied information technology to support the management and connection of commercial passenger transportation by contract (GrabCar) during a two-year trial pe🎀riod, which begཧan this month.
A recent conference in Hanoi gathering representatives of relevant ministries and agencies discussed the topic.
Five cities and provinces, including Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, the central Da Nang city, the northern Quang Ninh province and the central Khanh Hoa province, have been selected to test the service.
Under the project, GrabTaxi Co Ltd will be the first and only unit allowed to provide e-contract based cars of fewer than nine seats. Other commercial passenger transport firms have joined the project by contract.
Last October, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung approved the pilot project submitted by the transport ministry.
It aims to help enhance the state management of information technology-based passenger transportation, as well as create high-standard pre-conditions for future science and technology application projects in the transportation sector.
Khuat Viet Hung, Vice Chairman of the Vietnam National Safety Traffic Committee, said the project helped transport operations become transparent. The service connects passengers to companies that provide transport services in a time.
It also helped lower fares and loosen the pressure on officers who manage transport firms, especially control traffic safety and order officers. The number of "empty cars" running without passengers would be reduced to help curb traffic jams, save energy and cut down on environmental pollution, he added.
Colonel Nguyen Ngoc Tuan, Deputy Director of the Road and Railway Traffic Police Department under the Public Security Ministry, said that the application of technology in managing transport firms would be a source of information for police. For example, previously, passengers who left personal belongings in the car and forgot the vehicle's number plate were unable to retrieve their belongings. Now, with clear information about the vehicle and driver shown in the application, passengers can find their missing belongings.
On behalf of customers, Vuong Ngoc Tuan, Deputy General Secretary of Vietnam Standard and Consumer Protection Association, said the project was one of the policies that gave preference to customers.
The project would boost competitiveness among commercial passenger transportation enterprises and offer more choices to customers, he said.
Le Dinh Tho, Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Transport, urged prompt implementation of the project.
The ministry would collaborate with relevant agencies to assess results and widely apply the project nationwide after a two-year period, he said.-VNA
Foreign-app developers have flocked to Vietnam as the country is a potential market with 30 percent of mobile device users using them, the English language news portal VietNamNet Bridge quoted Thieu Phuong Nam, General Director of Qualcomm Indochina as saying.
Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has instructed the Transport Ministry to work with Ho Chi Minh City authorities to determine Uber's legal status in Vietnam.
Vietnamese authorities and members of the taxi industry in Ho Chi Minh City are developing taxi apps to compete with Uber, which allows individuals to set up their own on-call taxi service.
As of June 17, Ca Mau province had achieved its target of supporting the construction and renovation of 4,400 homes, with a total budget of over 235 billion VND (about 9 million USD).
Chairman of the Vietnam Journalists’ Association (VJA) Le Quoc Minh has called for technology to be leveraged not to replace identity, but to enhance it—allowing Vietnamese journalism to reach both local and global audiences.
In recent years, with strong support from the Party and State, and building on its tradition as a heroic news agency, the VNA has not only actively participated in OANA but also proactively proposed various ideas for cooperation, helping shape a fresh image of effective media collaboration in the digital era, said VNA General Director Vu Viet Trang.
The education sector has been one of the foundations playing a vital role in deepening Vietnam – New Zealand ties, said Prof. Damon Salesa, Vice-Chancellor of the Auckland University of Technology (AUT).
Tien Giang province has addressed the housing needs of 608 poor, near-poor, and policy-beneficiary families facing housing difficulties. Of these, 370 houses were newly constructed while 238 underwent major renovations.
Dr Pham Minh Hung from the University of Economics and Business under Vietnam National University, Hanoi, said the fixed-term contract mechanism is a correct step, liberating the entire system from traditional constraints which have long stood in the way of innovation.
The partnership will focus on studying and recommending LRT routes that connect the city’s transport network with urban development zones, industrial parks, and TOD areas. The research will cover Thu Dau Mot city and surrounding areas, with completion scheduled before August 15, 2025.
Media must not only serve as a channel for information but also act as a vanguard in shaping public opinion, combating misinformation, upholding the Party’s ideological principles, and reinforcing unity between Vietnam and Laos.
In Vietnam, the voluntary blood donation movement was first launched on January 24, 1994. In 2008, the Prime Minister established the National Steering Committee for Voluntary Blood Donation.
Currently, 20 Vietnamese citizens remain in Iran, including embassy staff and personnel. All are safe, mentally stable, and in regular contact with the embassy.
A VietnamPlus survey of 764 young people shows that 83.9% of Gen Z use smartphones to read news, only 12% use computers, and the rest access content via tablets.
GVB Startup 2025 attracted the participation of nearly 150 individuals and organisations from across Vietnam. The event seeks to promote bold and ambitious startup ideas and projects, contributing to the future of global innovation, and supporting startups through the provision of resources, networking opportunities, and market insights.
AI could not replace human judgment in verifying information and sensitive political events, and that humans remain the final gatekeepers of content, said Leonid Kovachich, head of the Asian department at Sputnik's international broadcasting division.
A veteran journalist of Argentina has praised the modern evolution of Vietnam’s press, which now serves a dual purpose: introducing Vietnam to the world while bringing global perspectives to domestic audiences.
The court announced that Quyet had submitted a written request to be tried in absentia, citing serious health issues. According to an official statement from Hospital 19/8, the defendant is suffering from multiple illnesses, experiencing fatigue and shortness of breath, with doctors warning of a “very high risk of death.”
A senior Party official highlighted the VNA’s consistent role over the past eight decades, noting that it remains a mainstream, uninterrupted, timely, accurate, and authoritative source of news that helps shape public opinion, strengthen public trust, and safeguard the ideological foundation of the Party.
Dr. Kobelev, born in 1938 in Ulyanovsk, was among the first Soviet scholars to specialise in Vietnam. As a former TASS correspondent during the war in Vietnam, he worked closely with Vietnamese institutions and later helped found Russia’s Centre for Vietnamese and ASEAN Studies.
Illustration photo. (Photo: VNA)
