Hue cyclo drivers overcharge Australian tourists

By Hoang Phong May 18, 2023 | 04:30 am PT

Foreign tourists take cyclo rides in Hue, May 2022. Photo by VnExpress/Vo Thanh

Two cyclo drivers in Hue who cheated two Australian tourists by charging them twice the agreed fare have been forced to return the excess amount after local authorities stepped in.

The Australian tourists were walking on Le Loi Street on Monday when the cyclo drivers offered to drive them to the Imperial Citadel for VND150,000 (US$6.40) each and they agreed, Voice of Vietnam reported.

But the cyclo drivers stopped by Thien Mu Pagoda without telling the tourists first. When the tour ended at the Imperial Citadel, the driver asked them to pay VND350,000 each.

They later revealed their experiences on social media, prompting local police to investigate.

On Wednesday, the Hue Department of Tourism returned the money to the tourists.

The drivers later apologized to them for an act that tarnished Hue’s reputation.

Hue was the feudal capital under the Nguyen Dynasty, Vietnam's last royal family (1802-1945) and is famed for its royal mausoleums and historic heritage.

Since Vietnam reopened after Covid-19 in March last year, a number of scams targeting foreign tourists have been reported.