Vietnam Launches Nationwide Inspection of Passenger Transport Businesses Amid Rising Accidents

The Directorate of Road Traffic Police under the Ministry of Public Security will conduct a comprehensive inspection of the business operating conditions of passenger transport enterprises by car nationwide, following several serious accidents. The inspection will focus on three main areas: the operation of the traffic safety management department; the quality of driver training and retraining; and the operation of the vehicle's journey monitoring equipment and cameras. The agency also plans to coordinate research to revise technical safety regulations for sleeper buses, especially their emergency exit systems and speed limits. Loopholes in the management of transport business operations will be reviewed for timely rectification. "The lives and property of passengers cannot be left to the drivers and vehicle owners," stated the Directorate of Road Traffic Police. The inspection is being launched amidst a complex situation of accidents involving passenger buses. From February 1 to July 5, 199 people died in such accidents. In less than a week recently, two accidents claimed 11 lives. Most recently, around 2 a.m. on July 21, a sleeper bus carrying 36 passengers was traveling on National Highway 1A from Khanh Hoa towards Ho Chi Minh City. Upon reaching Hung Thinh commune, Dong Nai city, the driver, feeling sleepy, suddenly swerved to the right to avoid a vehicle in the same lane, colliding with the central median barrier. Following the collision, the undercarriage of the bus caught fire, and the vehicle was completely destroyed by flames, resulting in 7 deaths and 5 injuries.