The Ministry of Transport has told bus and taxi companies to lower their fees in response to recent falls in the price of fuel.

"Fees for air and railway transport have begun to drop, but fees for other transport means have not been adjusted," said Deputy Minister Nguyen Hong Truong

Bus companies refused to lower fees even after the fuel price fell by 8 percent compared to the first quarter of the year. They claim it would take too much time and cost too much money to introduce new fees.

Passengers are frustrated to see fees remain the same. Many say their rights as customers are being violated.

In the past, every time fuel prices fell, bus companies quickly adjusted their fees.

"Our fee adjustment process is complicated. There are new fees to be registered, tickets to be printed out and re-configuring of taxi-meters. These are all costly tasks," said Nguyen Van Thanh, President of the Vietnam Automobile Association.

Thanh said companies will adjust fees when fuel price fluctuations hit 10 percent or more, adding prices fluctuated too often to make regular adjustments.

"It's not easy to get all taxi companies in the city to agree on the new fees. And it costs 8-12 USD to reconfigure one taxi meter," said a representative from Da Nang Taxi Association.-VNA