On April 10, 2024, the Minister of Transport issued Circular No. 10/2024/TT-BGTVT amending and supplementing a number of articles of Circulars regulating the management of water transport routes from shore to islands in Vietnamese territorial waters.

According to the provisions of Article 1 of Circular No. 10/2024/TT-BGTVT, procedures for registration of fixed passenger transport on water transport routes from shore to islands, specified in Appendix I issued with this circular, is changed as follows:

Regarding methods, organizations and individuals can submit registration documents directly, via the postal system, online public services or other appropriate forms to the Department of Transport where the waterway is managed. Compared to the old regulations, this Circular has supplemented the form of submitting applications via the online public service system or other appropriate forms. At the same time, the place to receive documents is changed to the Department of Transport instead of the regional maritime port authority, the agency and functional unit assigned tasks by the Provincial People’s Committee in case of decentralization.

Regarding documents, registering organizations and individuals need to provide the following documents:

Registration of passenger transport activities according to the form specified in Appendix II issued with this Circular;

Original or electronic copy or electronic copy or certified electronic copy of written agreement or contract with the port or wharf management organization for vehicles to pick up and drop off passengers;

Present the original for inspection (in case of direct sending) or electronic copy or certified electronic copy (in case of sending by post or online public service system). or in other suitable form), including: Vehicle registration certificate; The vehicle’s technical safety and environmental protection certificate is valid and suitable for the route of operation.

Regarding the implementation order, after receiving the dossier, the Department of Transport will check and process the dossier as follows:

In case the application is submitted directly: If the application is not valid according to regulations, return it immediately and instruct the organization or individual to complete the application. If the dossier is valid according to regulations, no later than 03 working days from receipt of complete dossier, the Department of Transport shall request written opinions from the regional maritime port authority and waterway port authority. inland under the Department of Inland Waterways of Vietnam (hereinafter referred to as the Port Authority) where the waterway transport route from shore to the island passes. The Port Authority is responsible for responding in writing within 03 working days from the date of receipt of the document;

In case the application is received via the postal system, online public service system or other appropriate form: If the application is not valid according to regulations, within 02 working days from the date of receipt of the application. dossier, the Department of Transport must send a document to organizations and individuals requesting to supplement and complete the dossier. Within 30 days from the date of issuance of the written notice, if the organization or individual does not complete or supplement the dossier, the Department of Transport will end the processing of the dossier. Organizations and individuals who want to continue carrying out fixed passenger transport registration procedures must start over from the beginning according to regulations.

If the application is valid according to regulations, no later than 03 working days after receiving the complete application, the Department of Transport will request written opinions from the Port Authority where the waterway route from the shore is located. passing island. The Port Authority is responsible for responding in writing within 03 working days from the date of receipt of the document;

No later than 03 working days after receiving the written response from the agency or unit specified in Clause 2 of this Article, the Department of Transport shall consider and issue a written approval according to the form prescribed in Clause 2 of this Article. Appendix II issued with this Circular is sent directly or via the postal system or online via the online public service system to organizations and individuals transporting fixed passengers on the route. In case of disapproval, there will be a written response clearly stating the reason.

This bulletin is for informational purposes only regarding newly enacted legal regulations and is not intended for advising or applying to specific cases.

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