Severe penalties for overcharging and overcharging bus drivers on April 30 - May 1

- During the April 30 - May 1 holiday this year, the national traffic police force has planned to increase inspections and strictly handle violations of passenger vehicles.

Buses are crowded, stopping and picking up passengers haphazardly along the road, driving at snail’s pace… are common occurrences, especially during holidays and Tet. To ensure people have safe trips during the April 30-May 1 holiday this year, the national traffic police force has planned to strengthen inspections and strictly handle cases of passenger cars violating the law.

Reporters interviewed Lieutenant Colonel Do Thanh Binh, Deputy Director of the Traffic Police Department, Ministry of Public Security, on this issue.

Lieutenant Colonel Do Thanh Binh - Deputy Director of Traffic Police Department answers interview

PV:The 4-day holiday from April 30 to May 1 this year is forecasted to increase traffic volume, potentially posing many complications regarding traffic safety and order. What instructions has the Traffic Police Department given, sir?

Lieutenant Colonel Do Thanh Binh:It has become a custom that during Tet and long holidays, the density of vehicles and traffic participants increases sharply, concentrated at the gateways to large cities, urban areas, train stations, bus stations, wharves, tourist areas, entertainment venues, etc. This situation complicates the traffic order and safety situation, especially traffic congestion at city gateways at the beginning and end of the holiday, local congestion in tourist areas, especially areas with single, narrow motor roads, and entertainment venues.

On road routes, the increase in vehicle density combined with the "relaxing" mentality of traffic participants leads to violations such as: carrying more people than the prescribed number, driving at excessive speed, violating road sections, lanes, using alcohol, beer...; on waterways, the increase in the number of people using passenger vehicles (ferries, boats), tourist boats... all pose a potential risk of leading to traffic accidents, especially accidents with serious consequences.

To prevent accidents and ensure traffic order and safety during the April 30 and May 1 holidays, implementing the direction of the Prime Minister, the National Traffic Safety Committee and the Ministry of Public Security, the Traffic Police Department has developed and implemented a peak plan to ensure traffic order and safety and social order on traffic routes during the April 30-May 1 holidays, the election of the 14th National Assembly and People's Councils at all levels for the 2016-2021 term. Accordingly, the Traffic Police force mobilizes maximum forces, means, technical equipment, synchronously deploys measures to ensure traffic order and safety to control traffic accidents, minimize the number of particularly serious traffic accidents, reduce traffic congestion nationwide, promptly prevent and strictly handle cases of illegal gatherings and racing...

Checking driver's alcohol concentration - illustration

At the same time, through the work of ensuring traffic safety and order, effectively combating all types of criminal, economic, drug crimes and other violations of the law on traffic routes. This peak period is carried out with the aim of being truly effective, contributing to changing the situation of traffic safety and order, social order on key traffic routes. The Traffic Police Department directly directs and urges the Traffic Police of local Public Security on key roads and waterways (on National Highway 5, expressways, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Northeast waterways, Dong Nai River...), ensuring the maintenance of inter-route peak activities.

On the road, we will focus on checking and handling drivers of passenger cars, trucks, container trucks, and motorbikes who violate the law. We will detect and strictly handle violations that are the direct cause of traffic accidents and traffic jams. On the railway, we will focus on checking compliance with legal regulations on ensuring railway traffic safety and order, especially at level crossings that are complicated in terms of traffic safety. On the waterway, we will focus on passenger vehicles at tourist sites and cargo vehicles on rivers; we will resolutely suspend watercraft that do not meet safety conditions. This peak plan will be implemented from April 21, 2016 to May 31, 2016.

PV:Every holiday season, the situation of overcrowding, stopping and picking up passengers in the wrong places is quite common. To solve this situation, what measures does the Traffic Police Department have, sir?

Lieutenant Colonel Do Thanh Binh:With the drastic implementation of the peak period to ensure traffic safety and social order on traffic routes, during the April 30 and May 1 holidays, the Traffic Police of units and localities focused on checking and handling passenger cars that violated the regulations on carrying more passengers, vehicles that did not ensure technical safety conditions, stopping, picking up and dropping off passengers in the wrong places. Other vehicles must be arranged to carry the number of passengers exceeding the regulations on the vehicle's capacity for the vehicle to continue operating. Maintain coordination with the Mobile Police, Police 113, and Criminal Police forces to organize inspections and strictly handle acts that disrupt traffic safety and order, illegal racing and other violations of the law.

The implementation of the peak has brought about significant results. For example, after 5 days (April 21 - April 26) of implementing the peak, traffic order and safety on National Highway 5 has stabilized, no traffic accidents occurred. Traffic police on the route inspected and handled, and as a result, 448 violations were detected and handled, 39 driving licenses were revoked, 7 cases were temporarily detained, and the State Treasury collected more than 500 million VND.

However, to best solve this problem for passenger transport vehicles stopping, parking, picking up and dropping off passengers illegally, and speeding, we see the need to thoroughly apply the technical system, especially the 24/7 journey monitoring device. This device is inspected, the technical parameters are printed out as the basis for the traffic police to punish violations, and then fundamentally solve violations in the transport business.

Heavy penalties will be imposed on overcrowded passenger vans - Illustrative photo

PV:When people encounter situations where bus drivers overcharge and overcharge, which agency will they report the incident to? How will the Traffic Police Department direct local traffic police to thoroughly handle this situation, sir?

Lieutenant Colonel Do Thanh Binh:On April 26, the National Traffic Safety Committee announced 9 hotline numbers to receive information reflecting on traffic safety and order during the April 30 - May 1, 2016 holiday. Accordingly, the phone numbers were provided to record people's information reflecting on transport business activities at bus stations, train stations, inland waterway ports, ferry terminals; on transport fares; reflecting on violations by bus companies, transport businesses; reflecting on traffic accidents, traffic safety situation (details have been posted on mass media or visit the National Traffic Safety Committee's website, address: www.antoangiaothong.gov.vn). While participating in traffic, when detecting cases of traffic disorder and traffic accidents, traffic participants can report through the hotline of the Traffic Police Department: 0692.342.608 or can report through the hotline of the Traffic Police of provinces and cities (for details, please visit the Traffic Police Website).

As mentioned above, to ensure traffic order and safety during the holidays, the Traffic Police force resolutely handles cases of passenger vehicles violating traffic order and safety, focusing on violations such as: Carrying more people than the prescribed number; picking up and dropping off passengers at the wrong place; speeding... In addition to arranging forces and vehicles with local Traffic Police to implement the peak, the Traffic Police Department also focuses on directing inter-line, changing the traffic order and safety situation, preventing and minimizing traffic accidents... During the holidays, leaders of the Traffic Police Department and professional units will directly go to key and complicated traffic routes and areas across the country to urge and direct the Traffic Police force to perform their tasks effectively.

PV:So what advice do you have for road users during this holiday?

Lieutenant Colonel Do Thanh Binh:Also, please note that traffic participants during the April 30 - May 1 holiday need to arrange and calculate appropriate time to enter and exit the city, urban areas, tourist and entertainment areas to avoid local congestion; when participating in traffic, absolutely comply with traffic rules; do not drive if you have drunk alcohol or beer, keep distance, when changing lanes, you must signal, keep a safe distance before changing lanes; pay attention to observation, master vehicle control skills and participate in traffic in a civilized manner.

This year, many people drive their own vehicles to take their families and relatives on trips to high mountain destinations. We recommend that you research, use, and master the vehicle, especially using the downhill assist feature of automatic transmission vehicles when driving on mountain passes, slopes, or sharp turns. Especially when going downhill, you must reduce speed by using the engine instead of frequently applying the brakes to ensure safety for yourself and others.

PV: Yes! Thank you!

According to VOV