VN launches hotline for infrastructure issues
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Hanoi recently launched a central hotline for citizens to report infrastructure-related problems.
The 24/7 hotline will take calls about issues such as urban lighting, trees, electricity and water supply.
The hotline, which is completely free of charge for landlines and mobiles with post-paid plans, will transfer reports or inquiries from citizens to relevant authorities.
The city’s Information and Communication Department said citizens previously did not know what number to call to report a problem, as the city’s infrastructure network was managed by various organisations and enterprises that operated their own hotlines.
Some failed to publicise their hotlines, while others did not even have them. This caused unnecessary delays and meant that problems were often reported too late or not directed to the right authority.
Head of Post and Telecommunica-tions Nguyen Tien Sy said the hotline began operating in July and was approved by the city People’s Committee last month. At one point, the hotline received around 20 calls a night.
Citizens were asked to keep track of how quickly repairs were done for the problems they reported. When responsible authorities failed to address the problems in a timely manner, citizens were told to report them again.
Sy said the second phase of the project would focus on implementing IT to improve the hotline’s capacity to register, transfer and record calls. A function to handle reports made in English was also being considered.
