HCMC – The higher prices of fuels have prompted many transporters to consider a steep increase of transport fees, possibly between 15% and 20%, enterprises said.
Higher fuel prices to push transport fees higher
By Van Nam - The Saigon Times Daily
Container trucks queue up on Hanoi Highway in HCMC. Transport fees in the city are expected to rise by at least 15% in the coming days on higher fuel prices - Photo: Le Toan HCMC – The higher prices of fuels have prompted many transporters to consider a steep increase of transport fees, possibly between 15% and 20%, enterprises said.
Luong Hoang Trung, vice chairman of the HCMC Goods Transport Association, told the Daily that some 100 member firms of the association were mulling 15% to 20% increases to compensate for the surging fuel cost.
Trung said the fuel cost made up some 40% of the total transport cost, so transport enterprises in the city had to immediately raise the transport fee to avoid losses.
Nguyen Van Thu, director of Tuan Lam Goods Transport Company in Binh Thanh District with a fleet of 30 container trucks, said the firm would increase fees on Friday for new transport contracts.
“Almost all large transport enterprises of the association will likely increase transport charges from March 1, while some smaller transport enterprises have started an increase on Friday,” Thu said.
He also revealed the suppliers of lubricant oils, tires and inner tubes for Tuan Lam Company had just announced they would increase the selling prices of these products by 22% from Friday.
Meanwhile, many taxi enterprises in HCMC are also going to increase fares in the coming days.
Ta Long Hy, chairman of the HCMC Taxi Association, told the Daily on Thursday that some large taxi operators in the city are considering raising fares by 10% in the coming days to cover the extra cost of gasoline.
At the moment, there are some 12,000 taxi cabs operating in the city, charging an average fare of some VND12,000 per kilometer for a four-seat cab.
Nguyen Huu Tuyen, Head of Business Division of Vietnam Railways Corporation, said the corporation was considering following suit. “In the coming days, the corporation will have a final decision on train fares,” he told the Daily on Thursday.