Hanoi official wants new paint job for taxis to 'modernize' city

By Vo Hai   August 29, 2017 | 05:17 am PT
Hanoi official wants new paint job for taxis to 'modernize' city
Hanoi wants to limit its taxi cab colors to two. Photo by VnExpress/Gia Chinh
It's unclear what colors have been proposed but the capital plans one for downtown and another for suburban taxis.

Authorities in Hanoi have come up with a plan that would involve all the 19,000 taxis currently operating in the city to be repainted in one of two colors.

The plan will be tabled before businesses and locals next year.

Ha Huy Quang, deputy director of Hanoi’s Department of Transport, said that there are nearly 80 taxi firms operating in the city, and most of them opt for different colors to make them stand out.

“No other capital city in the world allows this. That's why Hanoi has to take this move to modernize the capital,” said the official.

Quang said taxi companies have their own brands that passengers can recognize, so it's up to them to survive on their reputations.

While it's common for taxis in capital cities to have the same color, contrary to what Quang said, others like Singapore do allow different colored taxis.

No mention was made about who will foot the bill for the expensive new paint jobs for the thousands of cars. 

Hanoi also plans to separate the areas taxi firms are allowed to operate in.

Most cabs can be seen cruising in the city center, but many people on the outskirts also need their services, Quang said.

This move is part of a bigger plan to manage traffic in the city, but will involve increasing the number of taxis on the city's streets by 6,000 before 2020.

Meanwhile, popular ride-hailing services Uber and Grab may soon be asked by the capital to put taxi-style roof signs on their cars.

 
 
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