Yen Thanh: "Homemade worker-farmer" chaos

(Baonghean)It has been more than 5 years since Yen Thanh and other localities implemented Decision No. 548/QD-TTg dated April 29, 2009 of the Prime Minister on supporting the replacement of agricultural vehicles, 3-wheeled motor vehicles... suspended from traffic. But at present, homemade agricultural vehicles in Yen Thanh are still "running rampant", becoming a terror for road users.

When it comes to Yen Thanh, what people are most afraid of is the homemade tractor that the locals call “tractor”. This type of vehicle can run from every corner of the inter-village and inter-commune roads to the provincial and national highways. Out of sight, the vehicle suddenly rushes out from the alley, on steep slopes the vehicle rushes down, on wide roads it weaves, and some people even drive the tractor with their feet.



Convoys of farm trucks carrying rocks on the road through Lien Thanh commune.

We went to Yen Thanh on Provincial Road 538 and witnessed a convoy of about 10 "tractor trucks" rumbling loudly, carrying rocks on the road. Each vehicle was loaded with rocks, leaving behind a thick layer of black dust and smoke. Ms. Tran Thi Le in Lien Thanh commune said: It is best to stay away from this type of vehicle if you do not want rocks to fall and cause accidents. This type of "tractor trucks" is often concentrated in the quarries. At about 5 a.m., the army of "tractor trucks" was already loaded with rocks and most of them were not covered with tarpaulins. During the Mid-Autumn Festival of 2012, the number of tractor trucks from Xuan Thanh, Tang Thanh, Van Thanh, Hoa Thanh communes... pouring onto the road to "parade" in Yen Thanh town was about 200, causing traffic jams for the entire route. Due to going on the wrong side of the road, a tractor truck caused an accident (near the Yen Thanh State Treasury), killing one person and seriously injuring another. In 2012, a tractor driver in Bac Thanh commune carrying wood overturned, killing a passerby.

According to a survey in Yen Thanh area, there are quite a few places to "build" agricultural vehicles. But the largest and most large-scale is still the facility to "build" agricultural vehicles in Bac Thanh commune (about 300m from Yen Thanh 2 High School). At this facility, there are about 10 welders specializing in "building" the truck body and the wheel cage. According to a welder, about 5 workers working hard for 5 days will "build" 1 agricultural vehicle. The cost depends on the quality of the raw materials. If the cost is high, the axle will be made of good iron pipes. If the cost is low, the axle will be made of ordinary iron, so the bearing capacity is weak. Therefore, many agricultural vehicles often have broken axles when carrying bulky goods.

It is known that the whole Yen Thanh district has about 1,500 agricultural vehicles, of which the most are in Nhan Thanh commune with over 500 vehicles, Nam Thanh with over 150 vehicles, Trung Thanh with over 170 vehicles... The reason for the increasing number of agricultural vehicles is that, in addition to being convenient for transporting rocks, sand and gravel for hire, this type of vehicle also has the main function of plowing fields, replacing the plowing power of buffaloes and cows, and is cheap.

The issue of homemade tractors "running rampant" in Yen Thanh is causing frustration among the people. We request that the functional sectors of Yen Thanh take action and strictly implement Decision 548/QD-TTg dated April 29, 2009 of the Prime Minister on suspending the participation of tractors and three-wheeled vehicles in traffic; strictly handle cases of non-compliance with the conversion, and restore order to minimize unfortunate traffic accidents caused by tractors.

Dinh River