Surface Transportation Law (1997)

The Law contains 8 Chapters and 47 Articles. The Chapters cover:

1. General Provisions
2. General Rules for the Management of Surface Transportation
3. Transportation Enterprises, Specialized Transportation and Personal Transportation
4. International and Trans-boundary Transportation
5. Packing Goods and Vehicle Rentals
6. Administration of Surface Transportation
7. Policy towards those who are Productive and Measures against Offenders
8. Final Provisions

Article 1. Function of the Surface Transportation Law 

1. The Surface Transportation Law has the function of determining a regime for the administration, organization, operations, transportation of goods, transportation of passengers domestically, internationally, and trans-boundary transportation in order to efficiently and safely expand travel and traffic and distribution of goods. Using the country’s potential in respect of its geographical location as central to countries in the region to contribute to socio-economic development and international cooperation. 

Article 2. Meaning of Surface Transportation 

Surface transportation is the transport of goods, transport of passengers, the transport of materials and commodities, or animals via roads by means of various types of vehicles and motorized mechanisms, including tractors followed by a man trailing a cart carrying goods, passengers, and animals, three wheeled vehicles to include all sizes of automobiles, including different types of haulage vehicles.

Rudimentary traditional transportation is excluded from this Law.

Laos-Surface Transportation Law-1997-eng (full text in English, PDF)