Authorities in Ho Chi Minh City are set to perform comprehensive inspections of parking lots operating without licenses and overcharging customers.

Tran Vinh Tuyen, vice-chairman of the municipal People’s Committee, has ordered the examination of local parking facilities in order to deal with these violations.

According to the observation of Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper reporters on Thursday, some parking venues near the city’s immigration office on Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street, District 3 are overcharging customers.

The facilities at 190 and 200 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai charged VND10,000 (US$0.44) per motorbike, double the rate promulgated by local authorities.

Nguyen Binh An, a commuter who had parked his motorcycle in one of the lots, recounted an exchange with one of the attendants.

“The attendant aggressively told me to find another parking lot if I wanted a lower rate,” An said.

Located just 100 meters away a licensed parking venue was charging only VND4,000 ($0.18) per bike.

However, the lot was filled by 2:00 pm.

A representative from the municipal Department of Finance stated that the upcoming inspection will focus on ensure that parking lots near the Mien Dong (Eastern) and Mien Tay (Western) Bus Stations, Dam Sen Park, and other popular commuter destinations are charging appropriate rates.

According to the official, privately owned parking lots are allowed to charge rates higher than those of city funded lots. The rates for private lots, however, must be submitted to the financial department and approved by the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee.

The administration has only agreed on the price list of the parking lot inside Tan Son Nhat International Airport.

This means other private parking venues will be penalized if they are caught charging higher than city regulations allow, as they have not submitted any listing to competent authorities.

An official from the administration in District 3 stated that officers had carried out patrols at several parking lots in the neighborhood, after which violations regarding licensing and prices were dealt with.

Further inspections and stern punishments will be applied to solve similar issues in the district, he added.

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