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A traffic accident |
The Lam Dong Province Transport Department reported recurring law-breaking activities, particularly speeding, of many vehicles from passenger transport companies such as Ha Anh Tuyen Co. Ltd., Thanh Buoi Co. Ltd., Di Linh Transport Cooperative, Nhat Doan Transport Service Co. Ltd. The most noticeable one is the vehicle whose licence plate is 49B-010.98 from Dien Linh Co. Ltd. It violated the speed law 509 times and 192 times in May and June 2023, respectively. Its badge was withdrawn for two months.
Similarly, Quang Ngai Province reported cases of speed law breaking of passenger vehicles, detected by journey surveillance cameras of the Vietnam Department for Roads. For instance, 12 such transport means from Viet Thang Passenger Transport Co. offended traffic laws over 6,100 times, and thus have had their vehicle badge withdrawn since April 2023. However, other vehicles from this company continue to break the law. Mirroring these ill-intention activities are the Central Region Passenger Transport Co., the Central Region Transport Service Cooperative, or Quang Ngai Coach Station JSC.
Head Vo Quang Vu of the Management Office for Transport, Transport Means, and Drivers (under the Transport Department of Lam Dong Province) shared that after being caught for speeding, vehicles have their badge withdrawn and their owners have to register for a new badge for transport activities. The problem is since this registration is quite simple, it takes vehicles owners only 2 days to gain a new badge to operate again.
Director of the Quang Ngai Province Transport Department Nguyen Phong further informed that the punishment of speeding is in compliance with Decree No.10/2020 by the Government. Accordingly, with 5 times violating the law per 1,000km, the vehicle has its badge withdrawn permanently. But there is no regulation on the time before a new one is issued for the same vehicle. Therefore, vehicle owners can easily register for a new badge online just a few days after the old one is taken away.
As to the possibility of imposing stricter punishments on passenger transport companies for violating vehicles, their business permit cannot be withdrawn since there is no regulation or sanction on this matter, said Director Phong.
Regarding the responsibility of relevant parties in serious violations on traffic laws that lead to deadly accidents, Spokesperson Uong Viet Dung of the Transport Ministry shared that managing passenger transport activities is the duty of the local authorities. The Transport Ministry is in charge of developing mechanisms and policies as well as reminding those locality leaders to tighten the monitoring task when necessary.
When there is a traffic accident, the locality where the accident happens is responsible for handling law violations. The locality managing the passenger transport company is only in charge of handling offenses on transport business conditions. All law-breaking activities are punished transparently and specifically according to the level of violation.
The Prime Minister has just released a formal dispatch asking the local authorities must be responsible for traffic order and safety in the area under their management. Serious traffic accidents must be investigated carefully to identify the blame of each related party for corresponding handling.
Colonel Nguyen Quang Nhat – Head of the Office for Traffic Accident Instruction, Propaganda, Investigation, and Handling (under the Traffic Police Department) – stated that the traffic police force is tightening its monitoring on vehicles, especially passenger cars and container trucks. It has better grasp of transport enterprises and routes to allocate suitable staff to control the situation. The traffic accident quantity has since reduced, yet not their seriousness. About 30-40 percent of these accidents come from vehicles of transport companies.
In related news, regarding the passenger vehicle of Thanh Buoi Passenger Transport Co. that has the badge withdrawn 246 times but is still in operation, Spokesperson Dung stressed on the inadequacies in applicable traffic laws. There is no clear regulation on the time before a vehicle with a withdrawn badge registers for a new one, so the company immediately signs up for a new badge for the vehicle to run again. This must be reviewed carefully in the upcoming law amendment process. There should be stricter regulations, including withdrawing permits and permanent refusal of transport business activities.
Thanh Buoi Passenger Transport Co. is now under investigation from the Road Traffic Department. However, the direct responsibility to punish the company belongs to the HCMC Transport Department. If there are any problems related to mechanism and policy, the Transport Ministry must receive reports immediately for timely handling.
In another news piece, acting Chairman of the People’s Committee of Dong Nai Province Vo Tan Duc has just reported to the Prime Minister about solutions to ensure traffic safety on National Highway No.20. He proposed the installation of a median strip on the whole way and additional lighting system for better vision to prevent traffic accidents. Damages on the road surface should be promptly repaired for traffic safety. In addition, a surveillance camera system should be set up on the section of National Highways No.20 and 51 passing Dong Nai Province for traffic control to maintain security and handle law violations.
