General Nguyen Huu Cau: Proposed tightening of driver training and testing to curb traffic accidents

On the morning of August 27, the Central Party Committee of the Public Security held an online conference to disseminate the implementation of Conclusion No. 44-KL/TW dated January 22, 2019 of the Secretariat on continuing to promote the implementation of Directive No. 09-CT/TW of the Secretariat on "Strengthening the Party's leadership over the movement of the entire people to protect national security in the new situation" and Conclusion No. 45/KL-TW dated February 1, 2019 of the Secretariat on continuing to promote the implementation of Directive 18-CT/TW of the Secretariat on "Strengthening the Party's leadership in ensuring order and safety of road, railway, inland waterway traffic and overcoming traffic congestion".

Attending the event were General To Lam - Secretary of the Central Public Security Party Committee, Minister of Public Security; leaders of central ministries, departments, branches and leaders of provinces, cities and provincial police at 68 connecting points across the country. At the Nghe An connecting point, Comrade Nguyen Xuan Son - Standing Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the Provincial People's Council; Major General Nguyen Huu Cau - Member of the Provincial Party Committee Standing Committee, Director of Nghe An Public Security presided. Photo: Pham Bang

Many positive results

On December 1, 2011, the Party Central Committee Secretariat issued Directive No. 09-CT/TW on "Strengthening the Party's leadership over the movement of the entire people to protect national security in the new situation". Up to now, the organization, dissemination and implementation of Directive No. 09-CT/TW have been seriously implemented; the leadership and direction of Party committees and authorities at all levels have had clear changes; the movement of the entire people to protect national security has been gradually renewed and linked with campaigns and movements launched by the Party and the State.

Advanced models and examples in the movement for the entire people to protect national security have developed in an increasingly diverse, rich, practical and effective manner, promoting the role of mastery and the activeness of the people in preventing crimes and violations of the law. Coordination between departments, ministries, branches and organizations in mobilizing the entire people to participate in protecting national security has been strengthened.

On September 4, 2012, the Central Party Secretariat also issued Directive 18-CT/TW on "Strengthening the Party's leadership in ensuring order and safety of road, railway, inland waterway traffic and overcoming traffic congestion". The Central Public Security Party Committee assessed that the issuance of Directive No. 18-CT/TW is a correct and timely policy, of important significance for ensuring traffic order and safety in particular and for the country's socio-economic development in general.

After 5 years of implementation, the work of ensuring traffic safety and overcoming traffic congestion has achieved many positive results; the awareness of traffic participants in voluntarily complying with regulations on ensuring traffic safety has changed; the number of deaths and injuries due to traffic accidents has decreased year by year; the number of particularly serious traffic accidents involving passenger cars and heavy trucks has been controlled.

Major General Nguyen Huu Cau suggested improving the effectiveness of driver training and testing to curb traffic accidents and congestion. Photo: Pham Bang

Speaking at the conference, Major General Nguyen Huu Cau - Director of Nghe An Police said that after 7 years of implementing Directive 18-CT/TW, Nghe An has been successful in 6 areas. In particular, the Provincial Police Party Committee coordinated with departments and branches to advise the People's Council and People's Committee on many Directives and Decisions on ensuring traffic safety; issued hundreds of directives, including 5-year rotation of traffic police officers, building ethics, style and public service activities of the traffic police force according to 5 criteria. At the same time, patrols were increased and traffic safety violations were strictly handled.

In reality, as of August 2019, Nghe An had 116,000 cars; 1,600,000 motorbikes and more than 87,000 electric bicycles. Although traffic accidents were controlled, they remained at a high level. In the past 7 years, 2,230 traffic accidents occurred, killing 1,538 people and injuring 1,896 people. Major General Nguyen Huu Cau said that currently, the number of cars is increasing rapidly, in which the testing, training and management of drivers still have many loopholes, the quality of drivers is not guaranteed, causing many accidents or serious traffic jams. It is recommended that the Central Steering Committee improve the effectiveness of driver training and testing.

There are many limitations

Regarding the shortcomings, the Secretary and the Central Public Security Party Committee frankly pointed out that some Party committees, authorities, heads of agencies and units have not been resolute in organizing implementation. Propaganda and mobilization work for people to participate in the movement of the entire people to protect national security in some places has not been carried out regularly, continuously, promptly, and has been slow to innovate in content and form.

In addition, the results of controlling and reducing traffic accidents are not yet stable, the number of deaths and injuries due to traffic accidents is still high; particularly serious traffic accidents occur and there are many potential risks of increasing. Awareness and sense of law compliance of a large number of traffic participants are still poor; State management of traffic safety is not really strict, solutions to ensure traffic safety are not implemented regularly, continuously, and strongly...

General To Lam - Minister of Public Security delivered concluding remarks at the conference.

After listening to the opinions of many departments, ministries, branches and localities, General To Lam - Minister of Public Security requested that in the coming time, Party committees and authorities at all levels should focus on building and replicating models and typical examples in the form of self-defense, self-management, self-protection and self-reconciliation on security and order in the new situation. Pay attention to building and consolidating the grassroots political system; strengthen coordination between the People's Public Security force with the People's Army, the Fatherland Front and departments, branches and organizations in the work of building a movement for the entire people to protect national security.

Regarding Directive No. 18-CT/TW, the Minister of Public Security proposed to improve the effectiveness of state management of traffic safety, strengthen propaganda, dissemination and education of laws along with compulsory enforcement of traffic safety laws. Direct the effective implementation of traffic infrastructure construction projects, construction, connection and sharing of common data on traffic safety, driver's license management, driver management, train driver management, vehicle management... to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of traffic safety work.