Conducting load weighing of sleeper buses to assess safety
The Vietnam Road Administration (Ministry of Transport) has just sent a document to the Departments of Transport to conduct load weighing of some sleeper buses to serve the analysis and assessment of technical safety conditions of sleeper buses.
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| Sleeper buses will be weighed. Illustration photo: VNA |
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“Authorities will not impose fines on violating passenger vehicles because this is an inspection to collect data for analysis and assessment of technical safety conditions of sleeper passenger vehicles,” General Director Nguyen Van Huyen affirmed.
In addition, the Vietnam Road Administration also requested the Departments of Transport of Hanoi, Hoa Binh, Son La, Phu Tho, Ha Giang, Quang Ninh, Ninh Binh, Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Thua Thien Hue, Da Nang, Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, Khanh Hoa, Dong Nai, Ho Chi Minh City, Gia Lai, Kon Tum, Dak Lak, Lam Dong, Khanh Hoa and Phu Yen to weigh and check from 10 to 15 vehicles.
Before implementation, the General Department of Roads also requires localities to instruct and disseminate to the task force at the Station to inform drivers and passengers on the vehicle about the purpose of vehicle weighing to serve the research of traffic safety solutions for sleeper buses; this work must be carried out quickly to reduce inconvenience to passengers and drivers.
Previously, at the seminar "Which route is safe for sleeper buses" in mid-September, Deputy Minister of Transport Le Dinh Tho directed that not only trucks, but also passenger buses need to be checked for their load capacity.
Deputy Minister Le Dinh Tho expressed concern about the cargo compartment of passenger vans because improperly loading goods will affect the safety of the vehicle, leaving too much space will create an opportunity for stuffing in goods. Therefore, passenger vans carrying goods will be extremely dangerous if not controlled.
At the seminar, representatives of the agencies were concerned about how to safely load goods onto sleeper buses, how to arrange goods, and how overloading is associated with accidents when the vehicle turns, on steep slopes. If the goods suddenly shift, it can cause the vehicle to lose its center of gravity, and the driver cannot handle it in time, leading to an accident.
Also in late September, the Ministry of Transport discussed the draft Circular 18 amending regulations on the organization and management of automobile transportation business activities. In addition to studying the ban on sleeper buses on level 5 and 6 mountainous roads, the Ministry of Transport also limited the speed of these vehicles on mountain roads with small curves.
Accordingly, double-decker sleeper buses will be restricted from operating passenger transport on grade 5 and 6 mountainous roads; and speed will be restricted at small-radius curves on grade 4 mountainous roads.
In addition, business units must use drivers with at least three years of experience driving vehicles with 30 seats or more to operate sleeper buses; closely check and monitor the technical condition, and regularly monitor online via journey monitoring devices for this type of vehicle.
| Currently, Vietnam has about 4,500 sleeper buses. Of these, most are double-decker buses, with only about 80 single-decker buses. There are about 3,000 domestically manufactured and assembled buses, about 800 converted buses, and the rest are imported from China. |
According to Vietnam+
