Directive No. 10/CT-BGTVT on the vigorous implementation of comprehensive measures to reduce road traffic accidents in road transport activities.

DIRECTIVE

On the implementation of resolute measures to reduce road traffic accidents in road transport activities

traffic accidents in road transport activities

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In 2012, under the resolute and continuous guidance of the Party, National Assembly, Government, the efforts of ministries, sectors, localities, and the entire political system in building and implementing many systemic and comprehensive measures, both urgent and long-term, helped reduce road traffic accidents across all three criteria, earning the trust of the people and reinforcing the determination of state management agencies. However, in the first five months of 2013, while the number of road traffic accidents (RTAs) and the number of injured persons significantly decreased, the number of fatalities slightly increased compared to the same period last year. Recently, there have been several particularly serious RTAs caused by fixed-route passenger buses and cargo trucks, causing public concern. To address and immediately rectify these issues, thereby curbing and reducing RTAs in road transport activities, the Minister of Transport requests relevant agencies and units involved in road transport business and bus stations to promptly implement the following tasks:

1. Agencies and units under the Ministry:

a) Strengthen the review of regulatory legal documents on road transport, propose improvements to regulations in transport operations to enhance conditions for ensuring traffic order and safety (TOS);

b) Clearly define responsibilities in performing official duties, promptly detect and strictly and thoroughly handle any violations by officials, civil servants, employees under their own agencies and units in managing, inspecting, and supervising transport activities, training, testing, issuing driving licenses, and technical inspections of vehicles;

c) Actively and proactively coordinate with other ministries, sectors, localities, and media organizations to implement Plan No. 147/KH-UBATGTQG dated June 7, 2013 of the National Traffic Safety Committee on organizing a campaign to raise awareness and a concentrated effort to enforce speed limits against transport enterprises and drivers of motorized vehicles on roads.

2. The Department of Transport shall take the lead, in coordination with the Office of the National Traffic Safety Committee, Vietnam Highway Corporation, and related agencies under the Ministry to develop a plan and organize a national conference on safe road transport in June 2013, focusing on the following contents:

- Propose, unify, and commit to implementing comprehensive measures both short-term and long-term, suitable to the socio-economic development and transport situation of each locality, aimed at curbing and minimizing RTAs;

- Clarify the responsibilities and authorities of the Ministry of Transport, its agencies and units, related ministries and sectors, and local state management agencies, especially provincial Departments of Transport, in ensuring TOS.

3. The Legal Department shall take the lead, in coordination with the Department of Transport and other departments under the Ministry, to review, inspect, and urge the enforcement of existing regulatory legal documents, focusing on correcting the management of transport business conditions; propose timely amendments, supplements, or issuance of new regulatory legal documents related to the field of ensuring TOS according to practical needs, easy to understand, beneficial to the people, without generating additional costs, time, and administrative procedures for transport businesses, thoroughly addressing loopholes in the law that may lead to corruption in state management of transport and ensuring TOS.

4. The Cadre and Civil Servant Organization Department shall take the lead, in coordination with Vietnam Highway Corporation and related agencies and units, to review and inspect all training, testing, and licensing centers, focusing on those training and testing centers issuing driver's licenses where many drivers have caused RTAs since the beginning of 2013. Require suspension of operations for centers not meeting conditions; allow them to resume operations only after they complete and supplement conditions in accordance with new regulations. Study and propose timely adjustments to age requirements for drivers of passenger cars, buses, and container transport vehicles in relevant legal documents.

5. The Infrastructure Department shall take the lead, in coordination with the Construction Management and Quality Control Bureau, to direct and urge related agencies and units under the Ministry and contractors to continue accelerating investment in upgrading and improving infrastructure, ensuring progress and quality, especially for key projects; ensure that all infrastructure works when put into operation must meet all conditions for organizing and ensuring TOS (road markings, traffic signs, traffic lights, speed bumps...), particularly noting warning devices, speed bumps, and necessary signs at intersections between local roads and national highways, between alleys and internal roads with main roads.

6. Vietnam Highway Corporation shall continue to accelerate the implementation of the Project to Upgrade and Modernize Road Traffic Signs on National Highways, particularly National Highway 1 and National Highway 14; coordinate with Provincial Departments of Transport to urgently review and install median barriers on sections of national highways with sufficient conditions for two lanes of traffic or more, upgrade and supplement emergency routes, especially in mountainous areas with dangerous curves, mountain passes, and steep slopes.

7. The Vietnam Vehicle Inspection Agency shall review, tally, and evaluate the specific technical condition of vehicles involved in serious accidents from the beginning of the year to date, clearly identify the responsibility of inspection stations and related inspectors, strictly handle any violations, and submit a report to the Ministry in June 2013; study and supplement the construction of regulatory legal documents stipulating safety technical conditions and service life of passenger transport vehicles on long-distance fixed routes and vehicles permitted to operate at night.

8. The Inspectorate of the Ministry shall guide, urge, and coordinate with the Inspectors of the Departments of Transport to intensify inspections on compliance with business conditions for transportation services and regulations concerning bus stations; handle violations resolutely and thoroughly; recommend relevant public security agencies to initiate criminal proceedings against cases of serious violations of laws causing severe consequences.

9. Departments of Transport:

a) Instruct each position and role to enhance responsibility in performing official duties, promptly detect and strictly deal with all violations by officials, civil servants, and employees of subordinate units in managing, inspecting, and supervising transportation activities, training, examination, issuance of driving licenses, and technical safety inspections of vehicles.

b) Vigorously direct forces under their authority to conduct inspections, supervision, and strict handling of transportation service businesses and bus stations violating management regulations and business conditions, particularly those concerning traffic safety assurance, labor contracts, and working hours of drivers. Resolutely suspend operations and revoke business licenses of transportation service businesses deliberately failing to comply with registered business plans, fully delegating transport activities to drivers, or selling brands to drivers.

c) Coordinate with the Department of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs and the Department of Health to strengthen inspections, detection, and strict handling of individuals and transportation service businesses violating labor organization regulations and health protection for drivers.

d) Require transportation units and providers of vehicle journey monitoring equipment to supply data to the Ministry of Transport and the National Traffic Safety Committee as required for integration and management; arrange staff to continuously monitor, compile, and analyze data from the journey monitoring devices of transportation units under local management, promptly detecting, correcting, and handling violations.

đ) Establish a 24/7 hotline number and widely announce it on the website of the Department and through mass media so that the public can promptly report any safety risks in passenger and cargo transportation activities and road traffic safety.

e) Disseminate the contents of this Directive to transportation service businesses and passenger bus stations within their jurisdiction, requiring these units to sign commitments to implement and submit monthly reports to the Department of Transport on the situation of traffic safety assurance within their units.

g) Report monthly on the implementation results of this Directive to the Provincial/City Traffic Safety Committees and the Ministry of Transport.

10. Transportation service businesses for passenger and container cargo transportation:

a) Strictly manage vehicles, seriously implement, and require vehicle journey monitoring equipment management units to maintain continuous operation of the equipment, ensuring full transmission and storage of data according to regulations for the unit and competent state management agencies; maintain a dedicated department for traffic safety monitoring, using all necessary equipment and measures to promptly detect and firmly demand drivers to cease violations regarding speed, driving time, and routes.

b) Organize compliance with regulations on driver working hours, regularly and randomly check the health of all drivers involved in transportation services, primarily fixed-route passenger drivers, bus drivers, and container transport drivers; resolutely suspend and remove from the workforce drivers who use narcotics, alcohol while operating vehicles, or frequently exceed speed limits.

11. Passenger bus stations: Conduct strict checks, firmly not allowing departure for vehicles that do not meet technical safety requirements, drivers showing signs of alcohol or stimulant use, or drivers not matching the names recorded in logbooks; closely cooperate with traffic inspectors and police forces to inspect and control passenger pick-up and drop-off activities of transportation service businesses to detect and handle violators according to regulations; promptly report to the local Department of Transport for immediate handling of issues exceeding their authority.

The Minister of Transport requests heads of related agencies and units to disseminate this Directive to all officials, civil servants, employees, and workers of their agencies and units for strict implementation./.