Nguyen Huu Tin, deputy chairman of the People’s Committee of Ho Chi Minh City on Tuesday criticised the Department of Transport and authorities in HCMC Districts for failing to come out with solutions and reasons for the increasing number of traffic accidents.
He was speaking at a meeting chaired by him to discuss traffic safety in the city with relevant departments and authorities of 24 Districts.
At the meeting, the HCMC Traffic Safety Board said that in the month of May the city had recorded 61 traffic accidents that killed 54 people and injured 32 others.
The number of accidents and the death toll seems to have reduced compared to the same period last year, though the number of injured has increased by two persons.
However, the number of traffic accidents is still higher and on the increase since the beginning of the year. This may not allow HCMC to reach its target of decreasing traffic accidents and casualties in ‘Traffic Safety Year 2012’ by at least 10 per cent this year.
Mr. Tin instructed the Department of Transport and district authorities to find out reasons for the increasing number of traffic accidents occurring in their localities during the latter part of the year.
Haphazard and unplanned installation of lane dividers must be rectified along some roads. The transport department should work with Binh Chanh District to reorganise traffic flow on Highway 1A and also the section from An Lac roundabout to the city border along Long An Province.
He ordered the traffic police to increase patrolling so as to nab violators of traffic laws and crack down on those encroaching on pavements for parking space or to run a business.
