The Department for Road of Vietnam has issued an urgent directive to the Departments of Construction in provinces and cities, calling for improved operational efficiency and greater accountability for safety management units at transport companies.
Under the directive, safety management units at transport operators are required to strengthen supervision of drivers' compliance with regulations on continuous driving hours and promptly assign additional drivers when necessary, particularly for overnight trips.
When an incident or traffic accident occurs, authorities should review not only the responsibility of the driver but also that of the transport company's safety management unit in order to improve the effectiveness of safety oversight.
The Department for Road of Vietnam also instructed relevant agencies to establish inspection teams to detect and handle violations in transport business operations, with particular attention to reviewing how safety management units are organized and operated in transport companies.
The directive was issued after a sleeper bus crashed into a roadside guardrail and caught fire in Dong Nai City, killing seven people. According to the initial report, the accident was caused by the driver falling asleep and losing control of the vehicle.
