Passing Phuong ferry (Thanh Chuong) with fear...

Crossing the dike of Thanh Yen commune (Thanh Chuong), we arrived at the "unique" route to Phuong ferry terminal. The dirt road down to the terminal was bumpy and potholed, and when it rained, it was slippery and difficult to travel.

The ferry terminal has no place for passengers to sit and wait, no roof, no railing... Right next to the stop for passengers to get on and off the ferry, there is serious erosion, creating deep holes in the shore, very dangerous.

Do Phuong is an important waterway traffic point in Thanh Chuong district with hundreds of passengers passing by every day. Photo: Quang An

Mr. Phan Van Hoa, a resident of Thanh Yen commune, said: When the ferry first opened, it was built quite solidly, the waiting area had a roof and steps to serve the people, but due to natural disasters, in a short time, this waiting area was degraded and damaged, so it was abandoned. People had to move to this new wharf, about 10 meters from the old wharf.

Regularly taking the ferry to cross Thanh Yen commune to Highway 4 down to Vinh city, Ms. Le Thi Hong, Thanh Giang commune, sighed: "Although the ferry has been in operation for a long time, there are no railings or warning lights at both ends of the wharf; just a little carelessness and people and vehicles can easily fall into the river."

The equipment used to row the boat and get on and off the boat for passengers at the pier is very rudimentary and unsafe. Photo: Quang An

Currently, the ferry landing point is only built with rough planks. Every time the ferry docks, the ferryman brings ropes to tie tightly to the supporting poles for anchoring; not ensuring safety.

Although equipped with life jackets, most passengers do not wear them or if they do, they only wear them as a precaution when checked by authorities.

The embankment at the ferry terminal is currently experiencing serious erosion, eating deep into the shore. Photo: Quang An

Although there were life jackets on the boat, almost none of the passengers wore them. Photo: Quang An

This is an important waterway traffic junction, not only serving the travel needs of the people of Thanh Yen and Thanh Giang communes, but also the people of neighboring communes such as Thanh Luong, Thanh Khai, Thanh Xuan... who regularly travel through this ferry terminal.

On peak days, hundreds of passengers cross the ferry, mainly students going to school, teachers teaching in neighboring communes, and passengers going to Highway 46 to go to the market and other districts.

But the ferry terminal is in serious disrepair, making people very worried when crossing by ferry.

Mr. Nguyen Canh Dien - Vice Chairman of Thanh Yen Commune People's Committee said: To ensure the safety of passengers, all vehicles operating at Phuong ferry terminal have been registered, inspected and fully insured. Currently, the ferry crew in the commune consists of 5 people, with full qualifications and professional certificates.

However, local people are worried as the rainy season approaches because the embankment is seriously eroded, unsafe and the equipment at the wharf has degraded. However, currently, there is no investment project to upgrade the ferry wharf. Every year, the commune allocates a part of the budget to add more gravel and reinforce the road and embankment to avoid risks, but this is only a temporary solution."

Clip of unsafety at Phuong ferry terminal (Thanh Chuong)