Nghe An rectifies the situation of passenger transport and tourist services on waterways.

On April 29, the People's Committee of Nghe An province issued a document on rectifying passenger transport activities, tourist services on waterways and water entertainment activities.

Recently, the number of tourists to Nghe An has increased dramatically. All levels, sectors and localities have implemented policies and measures to facilitate and ensure maximum safety for tourists, including ensuring traffic order and safety. However, according to people's feedback, currently in some districts and towns, people are using fishing vessels (ships, boats, rafts, etc.) to transport tourists from the shore to the sea, to the islands and organize water-based entertainment activities by jet skis on the sea; transporting tourists along the river, organizing meals for tourists on boats; operating food services in the form of "floating restaurants"; transporting tourists to visit the coast.

Most of these activities do not fully meet the prescribed conditions, do not ensure safety for tourists, and increase the risk of inland waterway traffic accidents.

People are banned from using basket boats to transport tourists because they are not safe. Photo: Archive

To prevent accidents on inland waterways, routes, and waters, and ensure the safety of tourists to Nghe An and the people of the province during the tourist season, the Provincial People's Committee requests the Department of Transport to complete the draft and sign with the Provincial Police and the Registration Department No. 3 the Inter-sectoral Coordination Regulations on ensuring order and safety of inland waterway traffic. Organize and effectively implement the Inter-sectoral Coordination Regulations. Direct the Transport Inspectorate to preside over and coordinate with departments, branches, units, and localities to effectively carry out the propaganda and dissemination of laws on inland waterway traffic safety. Step up specialized inspection activities, conduct surprise inspections in areas with signs of violations in the field of waterway traffic, and strictly handle violations in accordance with their authority and legal regulations. Direct functional departments, offices, and units managing and maintaining waterway works to strictly and correctly implement regulations on waterway management and maintenance; Review and supplement all signals; promptly detect, handle or propose solutions to handle incidents that cause unsafe waterway traffic (if any).

The Provincial People's Committee requested the Provincial Police to direct the Waterway Police, the Police of districts, towns and functional units to strengthen inspection and strictly handle violations of order and safety of inland waterway traffic. In particular, special attention should be paid to handling violations of regulations on operating conditions of vehicles; regulations on safety equipment and tools of vehicles; regulations on the use of certificates of professional competence and professional certificates; regulations on ensuring order and safety when organizing entertainment activities; regulations on transporting people and passengers.

The Provincial Border Guard Command is assigned to direct coastal Border Guard Stations and functional units to strictly control and strictly handle violations against people and vehicles departing from shore to sea, to islands and vice versa; resolutely suspend activities in cases that do not ensure the prescribed conditions, especially activities of transporting tourists on watercraft and fishing vessels in inland waterways, routes and waters. Regularly coordinate with the People's Committees of related districts, towns and functional units to promptly and accurately grasp cases showing signs of using fishing vessels to transport tourists from shore to sea, to islands to combat and prevent; make lists for monitoring, management and apply preventive and deterrent measures.

Meanwhile, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development is responsible for presiding over and coordinating with departments, branches, localities, and units to propagate, disseminate, and educate fishermen on the law to voluntarily comply with the law; assign the Department of Fisheries to coordinate with the People's Committees of related districts and towns to direct communes and wards to sign commitments with fishermen to use fishing vessels for the right purposes, and absolutely not to use fishing vessels (ships, boats, rafts, etc.) to transport tourists from shore to sea or to islands. Direct departments, offices, and functional units to strengthen coordination with localities and units in controlling the activities of fishing vessels and drivers to promptly detect, prevent, and handle violations.

For the Department of Tourism, the Provincial People's Committee requires directing departments, offices, and functional units to propagate, mobilize, and advise tourists not to use transportation, sightseeing, and water entertainment services that do not ensure safety and do not meet the prescribed conditions.

In addition, the People's Committees of districts, cities and towns are responsible for directing departments, offices, functional units and People's Committees at the commune level to regularly disseminate and popularize legal regulations on inland waterway and sea traffic safety; sign commitments with owners of waterway vehicles and fishing vessels to absolutely not use these vehicles to transport tourists on the sea, rivers, lakes... when they have not ensured the prescribed conditions. Direct the People's Committees at the commune level and departments, offices and functional forces to coordinate with the Border Guard and the Police to increase patrols and controls to detect, prevent and strictly handle cases of using waterway vehicles, fishing vessels and people who do not ensure the prescribed conditions to transport tourists. The Chairman of the People's Committee at the district level and the Chairman of the People's Committee at the commune level shall direct and strictly handle violations in the management area according to their authority and the provisions of law; Any locality that allows violations causing serious consequences will be held responsible according to the provisions of the law. Direct wards and communes to regularly and closely monitor the compliance with the law by organizations and individuals in the area; handle violations within their authority and promptly report to competent authorities cases beyond their authority.

The Chairman of the District People's Committee must be responsible before the law and before the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee if accidents occur on waterways, routes and inland waterways due to lax management by local authorities.