CIRCULAR

Regulations on the conditions for drivers, service staff, equipment, and service quality on tourist passenger transport vehicles

 serving, equipment, quality of services on

tourist passenger transport vehicles

 Pursuant to the Tourism Law No. 09/2017/QH14 dated June 19, 2017;

Pursuant to the Road Traffic Law No. 23/2008/QH12 dated November 13, 2008;

Pursuant to the Inland Waterway Traffic Law No. 23/2004/QH11 dated June 15, 2004 and the Inland Waterway Traffic Law No. 48/2014/QH13 dated June 17, 2014; amending and supplementing certain Articles of These regulations stipulate the conditions for drivers, service staff, equipment, and service quality on tourist passenger transport vehicles.

Pursuant to Decree No. 12/2017/NĐ-CP dated February 10, 2017, issued by the Government on the functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of the Ministry of Transport;

At the proposal of the Director of the Transport Department,

The Minister of Transport hereby issues this Circular. These regulations stipulate the conditions for drivers, service staff, equipment, and service quality on tourist passenger transport vehicles.

PART I

GENERAL PROVISIONS

Article 1. Scope of Regulation

These regulations apply to organizations and individuals related to tourist passenger transport business activities.

Article 2. Applicability

Tourist passenger transport vehicles, drivers, service staff, and tourist passenger transport businesses, in addition to complying with the provisions of these regulations, must also meet the organizational and management requirements for transportation operations issued by the Ministry of Transport.

Article 3. General Principles

2. The conditions for drivers, service staff, equipment, and service quality on air, maritime, and rail tourist passenger transport vehicles shall be implemented in accordance with the laws governing aviation, maritime, and rail transport.

3. The conditions for drivers of tourist passenger transport vehicles by road motor vehicles and drivers and crew members of tourist passenger transport vessels by inland waterways shall be implemented in accordance with the laws governing road and inland waterway transport.

REGULATIONS ON THE CONDITIONS FOR SERVICE STAFF ON TOURIST PASSENGER TRANSPORT VEHICLES

Chapter II

Article 4. Regulations for service staff on road tourist passenger transport vehicles

1. Service staff on road motor vehicles for tourist passenger transport must be trained in their profession and the legal provisions governing transportation business operations as prescribed by the Minister of Transport.

2. Service staff on road motor vehicles for tourist passenger transport must be trained in tourism business by the transportation business entity (except in cases where the service staff on the vehicle is a tour guide or has been trained or educated in a specialized tourism field or related fields at training institutions from a vocational tourism diploma level upwards).

3. For drivers who also serve as service staff when transporting tourists, the transportation business entity must train the driver in tourism business as required for service staff.

Article 5. Regulations for service staff on inland waterway tourist passenger transport vessels

1. Service staff must be trained and instructed in their profession and the legal provisions governing transportation business operations as prescribed by the Minister of Transport; they must also be trained in lifesaving, firefighting, shipwreck rescue, and first aid medical care.

2. Service staff on inland waterway tourist passenger transport vessels must be trained in tourism business by the transportation business entity (except in cases where the service staff on the vessel is a tour guide or has been trained or educated in a specialized tourism field or related fields at training institutions from a vocational tourism diploma level upwards).

REGULATIONS ON EQUIPMENT AND SERVICE QUALITY ON TOURIST PASSENGER TRANSPORT VEHICLES

Chapter III

PROVISIONS ON EQUIPMENT, SERVICE QUALITY ON TOURIST PASSENGER CARRIER VEHICLES

Article 6. Provisions for road tourist passenger transport vehicles

1. Motor vehicles must comply with regulations on quality, technical safety, and environmental protection as prescribed by law.

2. Motor vehicles must be equipped with travel monitoring devices as prescribed.

3. Motor vehicles must display all required information as prescribed. Next to each bed, there must be a board providing passengers with traffic safety and emergency evacuation instructions according to the regulations of the Minister of Transport.

4. Tourist passenger transport motor vehicles must ensure interior facilities and conveniences as follows:

a) Motor vehicles under nine seats must have equipment including air conditioning, beverage containers, basic first aid medical supplies, spare medicine bags, escape tools, and the name and contact number of the vehicle owner placed behind the driver's seat.

b) Motor vehicles from nine to twenty-three seats, in addition to the provisions at point a of this clause, must also be equipped with sunshades, safety instruction boards, and garbage bins.

c) Motor vehicles twenty-four seats and above (excluding specialized caravan vehicles), in addition to the provisions at point b of this clause, must also be equipped with microphones, storage areas for tourists' luggage; designated seating for elderly and disabled persons as prescribed.

Article 7. Provisions for inland waterway tourist passenger transport vehicles

1. Vehicles must comply with technical safety and environmental protection regulations as prescribed.

2. Vehicles operating on routes from the mainland to islands or between islands must be installed with Automatic Identification System (AIS) equipment as prescribed by law.

3. Adequate lifebuoys and life jackets must be provided for tourists on board the vessel.

4. Inland waterway tourist passenger transport vehicles must ensure interior facilities and conveniences as follows:

a) For vehicles with twelve to twenty seats, the following must be provided: boards instructing on the use of lifesaving and sinking prevention equipment, and the contact details of rescue agencies, placed at passenger seat positions; route itinerary charts; beverage containers; garbage bins.

b) For vehicles with twenty-one to fifty seats, in addition to the provisions at point a of this clause, the following must also be provided: sun protection equipment, microphones; medical supply cabinets and first aid equipment as specified by the Ministry of Health; service areas for food and drink preparation and processing (if applicable) must meet health requirements and fire safety regulations.

c) For vehicles with more than fifty seats, in addition to the provisions at point b of this clause, the following must also be provided: canopies, sunshades, air conditioning or fans corresponding to the number of tourists transported; toilet facilities.

5. For cruise vessels, regulations set forth by the Government shall apply.

Chapter IV

RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE AUTHORITIES AND UNITS

Article 8. Vietnam Road Administration

1. Manage road tourist passenger transport activities by motor vehicles nationwide within its authority.

2. Uniformly print and issue identification signs.

3. Guide, inspect, and supervise the implementation of regulations concerning road tourist passenger transport by motor vehicles as prescribed by law.

4. Take the lead and coordinate with the Tourism Administration to guide training content for transportation units to train staff serving on tourist passenger transport motor vehicles.

Article 9. Directorate of Inland Waterways of Vietnam

1. Manage the operation of tourist passenger transport by inland waterway vessels nationwide within its authority.

2. Uniformly print and issue identification signs.

3. Guide, inspect, and supervise the implementation of regulations concerning tourist passenger transport by inland waterways.

4. Take the lead and coordinate with the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism to guide the training content for transportation units to train staff serving on inland waterway tourist passenger vessels.

Article 10. Department of Transport

1. Manage the operation of tourist passenger transport by road vehicles and inland waterway vessels within its jurisdiction.

2. Advise the People's Committee of provinces and centrally governed cities to approve and announce the locations of stops and pick-up points for tourist passengers at tourist areas, scenic spots, historical sites, and tourist accommodation facilities within their jurisdictions; coordinate with bus stations, railway stations, ports, and airports within their jurisdictions to arrange stop and pick-up points for tourist passengers.

3. Organize traffic flow management to ensure that road vehicles displaying signs and inland waterway vessels displaying signs are prioritized in operations at tourist areas, scenic spots, tourist accommodation facilities, bus stations, railway stations, ports, and airports within their jurisdictions.

4. Take the lead and coordinate with the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism (Tourism Department) to conduct inspections of tourist passenger transport business operations within their jurisdictions.

Article 11. Business Units

1. Implement the provisions regarding the conditions for drivers, service staff, equipment, and service quality on tourist passenger transport vehicles as stipulated in this Circular and other relevant regulations.

2. Take the lead and coordinate with the Tourism Association or other training units to organize training for service staff on tourist passenger transport vehicles.

Chapter V

IMPLEMENTING PROVISIONS

Article 12. Effective Date

2. This Circular abolishes Circular No. 31/2016/TT-NHNN dated November 15, 2016 of the Governor of the State Bank of Vietnam amending and supplementing certain provisions of Circular No. 24/2015/TT-NHNN dated December 8, 2015 of the Governor of the State Bank of Vietnam on foreign currency loans by credit institutions and branches of foreign banks to resident borrowers./.

2. Repeal Article 4 and Article 5 of Joint Circular No. 19/2015/TTLT-BGTVT-BVHTTDL dated May 25, 2015 of the Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism guiding tourist passenger transport by road vehicles and issuing signs for road vehicles engaged in tourist passenger transport.

Article 13. Implementation Organization

1. The Director General of the Vietnam Highway Administration, the Director of the Directorate of Inland Waterways of Vietnam, and the Directors of the Departments of Transport of provinces and centrally governed cities shall be responsible for leading and coordinating with relevant agencies to direct and urge the implementation of this Circular.

2. The Head of the Ministry's Office, the Chief Inspector of the Ministry, the Heads of Departments, the Directors of General Administrations, the Directors of Directorates, the Directors of Departments of Transport, the Heads of agencies and units, and individuals concerned shall be responsible for enforcing this Circular.