Fear of the 'evil spirit' bus

(Baonghean) - It is undeniable that buses are a convenient and affordable means of transportation. However, many Vietnamese people still have a constant fear and dread of this public transportation and consider it no different from a "street demon".

Ms. Le Thi Quynh (Dong Van commune, Thanh Chuong district) shared about the bus accident that injured her.

People are terrified

In the role of a bus passenger, a reporter from Nghe An Newspaper was on the bus running from Anh Son town to Nghi Lien bus station of Tan Phuong Thao Service and Tourism Company Limited. At 6:30 a.m., there were many passengers on the bus, of all ages and backgrounds. But what is worth mentioning is that the driver drove very fast and recklessly, although the road had many winding and dangerous downhill sections. Passengers shouted and passersby ran in all directions, but that did not seem to bother the driver and he slowed down.

Mrs. Bui Thi Tinh (60 years old, Thanh My commune, Thanh Chuong district) expressed her fear: "I probably won't take the bus again after this time. Sitting on the bus without feeling secure, the driver drives so recklessly, the passengers are "lost their souls".

Perhaps the fear and insecurity of Ms. Tinh and many others, including passengers on the bus and passersby, are well-founded as there have been many tragic accidents. Most recently, on December 15, a bus of the Dong Bac company with license plate 37B - 018.45 caused an accident that killed the Party Secretary of Tho Hop commune (Quy Hop district) when this official was traveling by motorbike on the road and only a few hundred meters from his house.

Previously, on December 7, a horrific traffic accident involving a bus occurred on National Highway 48 at the intersection with Ho Chi Minh Road, in Dong Hieu Commune, Thai Hoa Town.

At the above mentioned time, Mr. Nguyen Van Quang (born in 1969), a shareholder of Dong Bac Trading and Construction Company, was on duty as an inspector on the route. When he just got off the bus at the bus stop, he was suddenly hit head-on by Thach Thanh bus with license plate 37B-018.71 running on the Vinh City - Nong truong 19/5 (Nghia Dan) route, traveling from Nghia Dan to Vinh City, dragging the victim under the bus, killing him on the spot.

At the scene, at least 6 motorbikes and bicycles were also caught under the vehicle. Another victim standing on the side of the road was also seriously injured and had to be taken to the Northwestern Regional General Hospital for emergency treatment.

The accident on December 8, 2016 caused an officer of Dong Bac bus company to die under Thach Thanh bus.

Not only violating a series of regulations related to speeding and reckless driving, stopping and parking to pick up and drop off passengers in violation of regulations and the driver's improper behavior and service towards passengers are also matters worth discussing.

Through the hotline of Nghe An Newspaper, Ms. Le Thi Quynh (Hamlet 5, Luan Phu, Dong Van Commune, Thanh Chuong District) reported that on December 9, she traveled from Kim Lien intersection (Nam Dan District) to the gate of Thanh Chuong District Military Command on bus route 03 of Dong Bac bus company.

When arriving at the stop, the bus did not stop completely for passengers to get off, causing Ms. Quynh to fall and break her knee. Ms. Quynh expressed her indignation: “Immediately after I fell, both the driver and the bus conductor quickly ran away. Afterwards, I went to the company headquarters to complain, and an official named Government received and kept my bus ticket. Is the bus company irresponsible?”

Strengthening rectification and thoroughly handling violations

Up to now, the whole province has 18 bus routes put into operation, with the participation of 218 vehicles of 7 transport business units. With such a large number of buses, it has contributed significantly to the convenient travel for people, reducing the pressure of vehicles circulating on the routes...

However, the style of passenger service and compliance with related regulations are still not guaranteed, causing much public outrage. A series of violations continue to occur, such as picking up and dropping off passengers at the wrong place; stopping vehicles for longer than the prescribed time; operating on the wrong route; speeding, recklessly competing for passengers... causing traffic disorder; or using poor quality, degraded vehicles; collecting fares in violation of regulations...

There are inspections and handling, but why do these violations still recur? In response to this question, Mr. Ha Tien Son - Deputy Chief Inspector of the Department of Transport said: "The inspection force of the Department of Transport has made great efforts to coordinate with the authorities to rectify the situation of buses violating regulations. However, it is impossible to control everything when there are too many bus routes running in many different areas in the province."

Mr. Son also said that in 2016, the Department of Transport had twice organized meetings with units and businesses to rectify bus transport business activities. At the same time, it required these units to sign a commitment to implement 9 contents of quality transport services to force businesses to comply.

Therefore, people who need to take the bus need to grasp these 9 contents. If any bus violates, they should report to the Department of Transport or traffic inspectors for support and resolution.

On May 13, 2016, a traffic accident occurred between Phuong Thao bus with license plate 37B - 01302 and motorbike with license plate 37Z4 - 6804 driven by Mr. Thai Van Nho, residing in Van Trai 6 hamlet, Long Thanh commune, causing Mr. Nho to be seriously injured.

According to information from the transport management unit of the Department of Transport, all buses registered to operate in the province must be equipped with a journey monitoring device. From the synthesis and analysis of data from the journey monitoring device (performed monthly), the Department of Transport accurately identifies buses with violations to strictly handle them according to regulations.

Affirming the determination to handle violations, Mr. Nguyen Viet Hung - Head of the Transport Management Department (Department of Transport) emphasized: "The Department of Transport has affirmed to bus transport business owners that they must be responsible for each violation of the driver".

As the Lunar New Year approaches, people's travel needs, including buses, have increased significantly. How can buses truly become a useful and friendly means of transport for people? How can we eliminate the fear and apprehension of the so-called "street demon"? First of all, bus transport businesses and units need to have healthy competition, operate in accordance with regulations, and put people's lives and safety first.

Phuong Thao