Building a Unified and Open Transportation Market (Authoritative Interview) - Interview with Li Xiaopeng, Minister of Transport

Source: People's Daily

Since the Eighteenth National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping as the core has made a strategic plan to accelerate the construction of a transportation power, requiring the construction of a modern comprehensive transportation system and the formation of a unified and open transportation market. How to build a unified and open transportation market and promote the healthy development of the transportation industry? The reporter interviewed Li Xiaopeng, minister of transport.

Accelerate the establishment of a high-standard market system for transportation

Reporter: What is the current development status of China's transportation industry market? During the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, what are the main ideas and measures for building a unified and open transportation market?

Li Xiaopeng: Since the Eighteenth National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the transportation system has conscientiously implemented the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping's important instructions and the decision-making and deployment of the Party Central Committee and the State Council, paid more attention to the improvement of the transportation market system and the construction of the basic system, continued to promote the reform of "decentralization and management of services" and the reform of comprehensive administrative law enforcement, focused on deepening the reform of separating railway government from enterprises, deepened the reform of the taxi industry, encouraged and standardized the development of new formats such as online ride-hailing, and continuously improved the supervision system and business environment of the transportation market.

At present, a unified, open, competitive and orderly transportation market has initially taken shape. However, compared with the requirements of the Party Central Committee and the expectations of the people, and compared with the requirements of accelerating the construction of a new development pattern, there are still some pain points and difficult problems in the construction of the transportation market system, such as the vitality of market players to be enhanced, the phenomenon of market segmentation still exists, the efficiency of resource allocation of market factors is still not high, and monopoly and unfair competition occur from time to time.

During the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, we will closely focus on "unification" and "opening up", study and formulate policy documents for deepening the reform of the transportation system and forming a unified and open transportation market, focusing on the following six aspects. The first is to improve the institutional system, improve the basic market system, create a good business environment, and break down regional and industrial barriers. The second is to strengthen the implementation of competition policies, strengthen the regulation of anti-monopoly and anti-unfair competition behavior, and orderly promote the market-oriented reform of competitive links. The third is to facilitate the flow of factors, optimize the allocation of market factor resources, improve the ability to guarantee land and funds, and promote the open sharing of data resources. The fourth is to enhance the effectiveness of supervision, improve the market supervision mechanism, and promote comprehensive and coordinated supervision of the market. The fifth is to promote integrated development, promote the linkage development of industries, and establish and improve the strategic policies of the transportation industry chain. The sixth is to expand opening up to the outside world, promote the linkage of domestic and international markets, and improve the international logistics supply chain system.

In short, at present and for a period of time to come, the transportation industry will closely focus on the goal of accelerating the construction of a transportation power, continue to open up the "main artery" and smooth the "microcirculation", accelerate the construction of a modern comprehensive transportation system, accelerate the establishment of a high-standard transportation market system, and contribute to the construction of a new development pattern.

Promote the healthy and sustainable development of new transportation formats

Reporter: In recent years, the new transportation format has developed rapidly, but there have also been some "growing pains". What work has the Ministry of Transport done to strengthen the regulation of anti-monopoly and unfair competition in new business formats such as online ride-hailing, and what measures will it take?

Li Xiaopeng: The integration of traditional transportation industry with modern new technologies has given birth to new forms of transportation. In recent years, the rapid development of new transportation enterprises represented by online car-hailing, shared bicycles, network freight, etc., has played an important role in improving people's lives and developing the national economy, and has added vitality to the transportation market. However, in the process of rapid development of new transportation formats, there have been some problems affecting the legitimate rights and interests of consumers and the order of fair competition in the market, which have attracted widespread attention from society.

In view of these problems, we have played the role of the inter-ministerial joint conference system for the coordinated supervision of new forms of transportation, studied with relevant departments for many times, implemented a series of policy measures, standardized the business behavior of enterprises, and achieved initial results. At present, a total of 248 online ride-hailing platform companies across the country have obtained business licenses for online ride-hailing platforms, with an average daily order volume of 21.6 million, covering 325 cities above the prefecture level. In more than 360 cities, 16.52 million shared bicycles were put into operation, with an average daily order volume of more than 45.7 million. As of the first half of this year, there are more than 1,200 network freight platform enterprises nationwide, and more than 28 million waybills have been completed.

We hope to work with all parties in society to create a fair competition, healthy and standardized market environment. Enterprises in new forms of transportation should strengthen self-discipline and be enterprises that innovate and develop and comply with laws and regulations.

In the next step, we will strengthen departmental coordination and focus on the following aspects. The first is to strengthen anti-monopoly work. Strengthen the monitoring and analysis of the operation of the industry, cooperate with relevant departments to prevent and stop monopolistic behavior, and strive to crack down on illegal acts that use market dominance to infringe on the legitimate rights and interests of consumers and practitioners. The second is to strengthen industry supervision. Strive to improve laws and regulations, explore the comprehensive use of digital supervision, credit supervision, collaborative supervision, social supervision and other regulatory methods, and strengthen the joint supervision of the whole chain of enterprises in new formats such as online car-hailing before, during and after the event. The third is to continue to optimize the development environment. Guide local management departments to further strengthen service awareness, accelerate the compliance process of new formats such as online ride-hailing, and expand the supply of high-quality services in new transportation formats.

Earnestly safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of truck drivers

Reporter: At present, there are nearly 20 million truck drivers in the country, most of whom are mainly self-employed. What are the next steps to improve the working environment and safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of truck drivers?

Li Xiaopeng: For a long time, the majority of truck drivers have been rushing to the front line of logistics and transportation, making important contributions to promoting the logistics industry to reduce costs and increase efficiency, improve people's livelihood and improve people's livelihood and economic and social development. The Ministry of Transport has always attached great importance to the protection of the legitimate rights and interests of truck drivers, focusing on the following work:

Optimize the business environment. Implement the differentiated toll collection policy of toll roads, guide all localities to increase the promotion of road transport electronic licenses, and continue to promote the "inter-provincial communication" of high-frequency service matters for road transport drivers. Improve the multi-departmental coordination linkage mechanism, optimize and adjust the policy of prohibiting and restricting the carriage.

Improve parking and rest conditions. Continue to promote the construction of "driver's home" to provide convenience for truck drivers to park, eat, wash, shower, toilet, etc. Study increasing the number of truck parking spaces in highway service areas and creating a social atmosphere of caring for truck drivers.

Standardize the business behavior of new business formats. Research and improve the management system of the Internet road freight platform, urge platform enterprises to reasonably determine and adjust business strategies such as information service fees, membership fees, pricing rules, bidding mechanisms, and dispatch rules, and work with relevant departments to seriously investigate and deal with acts such as Internet road freight platforms harming the legitimate rights and interests of truck drivers in accordance with law.

Smooth complaint and reporting channels. Give full play to the role of the national "12328" transportation service supervision telephone, and clearly require that the complaints and reports of truck drivers accepted by "12328" be guided and supervised by the provincial transportation authorities, and adhere to the principle of handling one thing at a time, reporting and investigating, and handling it immediately.

In the next step, we will work with relevant departments to accelerate the issuance and implementation of the "Opinions on Strengthening the Protection of the Rights and Interests of Truck Drivers", focusing on promoting strict standardization of fair and civilized law enforcement, simplifying the procedures for handling certificates, improving parking and rest conditions, and improving the social security system, etc., to effectively safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of truck drivers.

Since the beginning of this year, in order to effectively solve the prominent problems in the field of law enforcement that the people have strongly complained about and to safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of the vast number of transportation practitioners, the Ministry of Transport has carried out special rectification actions for prominent problems in the field of law enforcement. In the next step, we will conscientiously sum up experience, form a long-term working mechanism, continuously improve and optimize law enforcement work, and further strengthen the construction of a comprehensive law enforcement team. At the same time, we will further deepen the reform of comprehensive administrative law enforcement in transportation, and effectively give play to the important role of law enforcement in standardizing market order, maintaining safe development, and promoting social stability.