How to make "huo Lala" no longer "worry Lala" in
response to the
death of a
Changsha woman in a "huo Lala" online appointment truck The Ministry of Transport said it should stick to the bottom line of safe development
On February 25, in response to the death of a woman in Changsha riding on a "Huo Lala" platform online-hailing truck, the Ministry of Transport stated that whether it is a traditional road freight logistics company or a new business model that relies on the growth and development of the Internet and information technology, Or the e-commerce platform involved in the logistics field should firmly adhere to the bottom line of safe development.
The reporter's investigation found that, in pursuit of rapid expansion, the current online-hailing truck industry has problems such as low entry barriers, chaotic market order, and lack of safety supporting measures.
At the same time, problems such as delayed follow-up of supervision and difficulty in consolidating the responsibilities of network platforms have also led to compromises in governance quality.
Replay
"Huolala" platform: admit that there are security issues
On the evening of February 6, a 23-year-old woman named Che Moumou who was working in Changsha jumped out of the window while riding on the moving vehicle appointed by the "Huo Lala" platform, but died after rescue.
In the incident, "why the driver did not follow the platform's designated navigation route, three yaws", "have the driver ever acted improperly" and other issues aroused social concern.
On the evening of the 23rd, the Changsha police in Hunan revealed that the driver Zhou Mouchun involved was criminally detained by the police on suspicion of negligence causing death.
"Death caused by negligence means that the perpetrator did not foresee or had foreseen the death of another person due to negligence. The police detained the driver involved on suspicion of negligence causing death, indicating that the current situation is insufficient To determine that the driver involved in the case had deliberate intentions." A lawyer in Changsha said.
The reporter learned from the police in Hunan Province and Changsha City that because the freight vehicles involved in the "Huo Lala" online appointments were not equipped with monitoring and recording equipment, and one of the two parties, Che Moumou, has died, the police will investigate the case and find out. The truth and clarification of responsibilities cause greater difficulties.
"Huolala" announced that it had obtained the understanding of the family of the deceased on the afternoon of the 23rd, and will properly handle the aftermath together with the family.
As for whether "Huo Lala" compensates the family members for Che's unfortunate death, both "Huo Lala" and Che's family expressed inconvenience to disclose.
On the 24th, "Huolala" apologized to the family of the deceased, admitted that the platform had problems such as lack of safety warnings and imperfect product safety functions, and announced the mandatory full-process recording function, expanded the deployment of safe on-board equipment, and launched warnings for overdue orders. 7 rectification measures including the addition of location protection function to the system, the car-following order scene.
problem
There are three major problems with the "barbarous growth" of online freight forwarding
The reporter's investigation found that, in order to achieve the goal of "fast expansion and low cost", some online freight forwarding platforms have set up regulations to avoid their main responsibilities in key links such as vehicle personnel compliance access and service safety management, which makes it difficult to protect the legal rights of consumers and drivers , Leaving hidden risks.
The threshold for personnel registration is low.
The customer service of the "Huo Lala" platform told reporters that the driver registration must meet the age requirements of 20 to 60 years old. There are no restrictions on driving experience, education and whether they are the owner of the car.
The reporter found that some drivers who were "banned" by the online passenger transportation platform for violating traffic rules or operating regulations also took advantage of the loopholes to "turn to" the online transportation platform.
Many online-hailing truck drivers on platforms such as "Huolala" and "Kaigou" revealed to reporters that at present, registration of online passenger transportation platforms requires a qualification certificate, but registered freight platforms do not.
Moreover, the "offline training" of the freight platform is very short, and the content does not introduce laws, regulations, operating specifications, etc. Most of them teach drivers how to take orders.
"There are many people around me who have been banned by the online passenger transportation platform to become online freight drivers." said Mr. Wang, the driver of "Huo Lala" in Beijing. Although the platform will leave a copy of the driver's ID and ask if there is a criminal record, The driver can pass by answering "no".
Freight management is not standardized.
my country's Road Traffic Safety Law clearly stipulates that it is forbidden to carry passengers on freight vehicles.
Where a freight motor vehicle needs to carry workers, safety measures to protect workers shall be provided.
However, the reporter's investigation found that on online freight forwarding platforms such as "Huo Lala", because the platform is not restricted, the drivers are profit-making, the customers are more convenient, and the "freight" is used to replace the "customer" frequently.
Many consumers also encounter situations where the order information is inconsistent with the actual vehicle's license plate, specifications, and even the identity of the driver.
"The online freight forwarding platform does not require the integration of people and vehicles, and we will also lend the account number to others." An online freight forwarding platform driver said.
The reporter also found that customers and drivers of online freight forwarding platforms often clashed due to disputes such as overloading, handling, waiting, and distance, but the platforms often shirk their responsibilities on the grounds that they are only “information intermediaries”.
Governance
The chaos of "passenger-to-goods" needs to be dealt with urgently
The online appointment vehicle involved in the Changsha case was a van.
The reporter's investigation found that in the online freight forwarding industry, "passenger-to-cargo" violations are common and platform security measures are not sound enough.
In September 2019, the Ministry of Transport cancelled the operation license for ordinary freight vehicles with a total mass of 4,500 kg and below, the driver’s qualification certificate and the enterprise road transportation operation license.
A person familiar with the Changsha Transportation Bureau told reporters that the vehicle involved was a "passenger-to-cargo" van with a total mass of less than 4500 kg.
According to regulations, drivers engaged in freight services "as long as they have a driver's license and a motor vehicle license."
Drivers of multi-local online freight forwarding platforms said that due to the advantages of passenger cars that are suitable for running in the same city and not easily restricted, there are many cases in which passenger cars such as Jinbei and Iveco are registered as trucks on the platform after their seats are changed.
Some platforms do not pay attention to this during offline vehicle inspections.
A traffic policeman in Dongcheng District, Beijing, told reporters that during the interception and inspection of minivans on the online freight platform where advertisements were posted, chaos such as "passenger transportation changed to freight transportation" and "passenger and freight mixed transportation" were almost "one check and one standard". Failure to meet freight loading conditions can easily lead to safety accidents.
In addition, according to relevant national regulations, large trucks require a road transport permit to perform transportation, but the customer service of multiple online freight platforms told reporters that the platform allows unlicensed large trucks to "register and then reissue."
Zhao Zhanzhan, a lawyer at Beijing Yunjia Law Firm, said that the current online freight forwarding industry needs to be improved in many aspects such as protecting the vital interests of platform drivers and consumers, improving the safety of goods, improving the shipping rules, and enhancing the customer experience.
Zang Lei, a senior researcher at the International Center for the Rule of Law on the Internet at Beijing Normal University, said that for major matters involving the personal safety of citizens, regulatory agencies should improve regulatory standards and increase supervision as soon as possible.
Professor Xue Jun, director of the Research Center for E-commerce Law of Peking University, suggested that, in accordance with the provisions of the E-commerce Law, regulatory authorities should conduct special law enforcement inspections on online freight-related platform companies, compact corporate security, qualification reviews and other legal responsibilities, and operate in compliance.
The Ministry of Transport requires relevant companies to properly handle the relationship between safety and development, integrity and innovation, regulate operations in accordance with laws and regulations, effectively implement the main responsibility for safe production, and take effective measures to continuously improve safety management and control capabilities and service quality.
Text/Photo courtesy of Xinhua News Agency/Visual China