Directive No. 11/CT-BNV(V11) on Rectifying Traffic Patrol and Control Work and Combating Corruption During Task Execution

DIRECTIVE

Regarding the rectification of traffic patrol and control work on roads and combating corruption during the performance of duties

To implement the Government's Decrees on ensuring road traffic safety and urban order, the People's Public Security forces, with the core being the Traffic Police, have made significant contributions to maintaining traffic safety and order, effectively preventing criminal activities on traffic routes, and largely addressing illegal motorcycle racing. The results achieved have been recognized by the Government and praised by the people.

In their work and combat operations, most officers and soldiers of the Traffic Police have demonstrated a high sense of responsibility for serving the people, many comrades have been awarded for outstanding achievements, some were injured, and others heroically sacrificed while fighting against criminals to protect the lives and property of the people. Leadership at all levels of the Public Security has generally paid attention to directing and implementing measures to combat corruption and bribery within the Traffic Police force; therefore, the situation of corruption among the Traffic Police has initially shown improvement.

However, in some localities along national highways, there are still many cases of corruption: The common situation is arbitrary vehicle stops for inspection, harassment causing inconvenience to the people. The Legal Inspection Force of the Ministry has inspected and discovered nearly 50 incidents, involving over 100 Traffic Police and Public Security officers from more than 20 localities who violated regulations by accepting bribes from drivers, deviating from procedural requirements... and disciplinary action was recommended. Many localities have dealt with these issues strictly, but there are also places that did not handle them or handled them inadequately.

There are many reasons leading to the prolonged existence of corruption within the Traffic Police force, including reasons due to local Public Security leadership not personally directing resolutely, not regularly inspecting compliance with directives, decisions, and procedural requirements. Avoiding strict and decisive handling of violations by officers and soldiers. The organization of traffic patrols is not reasonable enough to fully leverage the positive effects of this measure; however, the main reason is the poor self-improvement efforts of a portion of the officers and soldiers within the Traffic Police force. Some officers and soldiers have degenerated and abused their positions to stop vehicles for inspections, harass, and extort bribes. Some leaders of Departments, Teams, and Stations lack responsibility, turn a blind eye, or collude with such corrupt behaviors, failing to take corrective measures. Units where officers and soldiers violate rules have not had their direct leaders reviewed to clarify responsibilities and face disciplinary actions.

Some other forces of the Public Security at the county, city, and ward levels also abuse their responsibilities to stop vehicles for inspections beyond regulations, harass, demand money, and fail to strictly follow the directives of the Ministry.

The situation of road traffic safety remains complex, traffic accidents remain severe, violations of traffic safety and urban order are widespread. Corruption and violations within the Traffic Police force are still very serious and are a pressing issue affecting the reputation of the People's Police force negatively.

To strictly and effectively implement the Government's Decrees, creating a progressive change in the field of ensuring traffic safety, it is a crucial requirement to rectify traffic patrol and control work on roads and firmly push back corruption and harassment of the people during the performance of duties, restoring the reputation of the Public Security force. The Ministry leadership requests the heads of Public Security in various localities to directly direct the immediate implementation of the following measures:

1. Continue to direct units of the People's Public Security, Public Security districts, counties, cities, wards to study, learn, thoroughly understand, and strictly implement the directives and orders of the Ministry regarding maintaining traffic safety and order. Strictly prohibit the Traffic Police, Public Order Police, Protection Police, Public Security districts, counties, and ward police, and other Public Security forces from stopping vehicles on the road for inspections. Participation in inter-agency inspection teams to check goods must be authorized by a written order from the Public Security Director at the provincial level or higher and carried out by the Traffic Police under the provincial Public Security.

2. Assign the General Department of the People's Public Security to review and report to the Ministry leadership to immediately dissolve some checkpoints of the Traffic Police of local Public Security forces on National Highway 1A, 5A, and prevent the situation of having too many checkpoints on one stretch of road. The Traffic Police should only perform mobile patrols on the road to prevent and handle traffic law violations, resolve accidents and incidents.

The General Department of the People's Public Security should urgently study and propose to the Ministry leadership to amend and supplement certain provisions that are no longer appropriate in the field of traffic patrol and control, such as amending and supplementing Circular 03/TT-BNV dated June 12, 1990 on "arranging traffic patrol forces on national highways" towards arranging according to routes, ending the widespread inspection situation in localities. Amend and supplement the functions, powers, and tasks of the Gate Stations in major cities like Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Hai Phong, Da Nang... according to Decision No. 440 dated June 7, 1984 to suit current realities and future developments.

3. For localities where the Ministry allows the Traffic Police to go out on duty for traffic patrol and control, the unit leadership must personally approve specific traffic patrol plans (what to do, where, when, and who will carry it out...). When performing duties, traffic patrol teams must strictly adhere to the approved plan, always maintain the posture and demeanor of a People's Public Security officer, strictly prohibiting harassment, authoritarianism, and causing difficulties for the people. They must keep a patrol logbook recording the content and results of each vehicle inspection. At the end of their shift, traffic patrol teams must write reports, and unit leadership must directly inspect the results of their activities and draw immediate lessons.

Weekly, the leaders of the Provincial Police must directly listen to reports and provide guidance on traffic control work; if any case of non-compliance with regulations is discovered, they must conduct a review, draw lessons, immediately halt such activities, and prevent them from performing duties on the road; for intentional violations, disciplinary actions must be taken and reported to the Ministry.

4. The provincial police inspection shall cooperate with relevant units to strengthen regular and surprise inspections of the traffic police's operations on the roads. Timely encouragement and rewards should be given to outstanding cases of merit, exemplary individuals, and those strictly adhering to the Ministry's regulations; at the same time, all negative behaviors and corruption must be dealt with strictly and promptly according to the provisions set out in the Regulation issued together with Decision No. 82/QĐ-BNV dated March 9, 1996 of the Ministry.

In handling violations, the causes and conditions leading to errors must be clearly analyzed to promptly rectify and prevent recurrence. Units with errant officers and soldiers will have their unit and department commanders held responsible and subjected to strict, appropriate disciplinary measures.

5. Traffic police units need to continue strengthening political education, internal management, promoting study movements, and strictly implementing the six points taught by President Ho Chi Minh to the people's public security force; learning from and emulating advanced models within the public security force, particularly traffic police. Regularly maintaining unit activities and conducting practical criticism and self-criticism within the organization.

Each traffic police room, team, station, and working group must regularly organize training sessions to thoroughly understand anti-corruption and anti-graft regulations, procedures, rules, and work systems of traffic police, including: traffic patrol and control procedures on roads, violation handling procedures, traffic accident resolution procedures on roads, Decision No. 82/QĐ-BNV regarding the handling of public security officers violating traffic order and safety regulations.

6. The General Police Department continues to direct and enhance the activities of legal inspection teams. Additional technical equipment should be provided and necessary investigative methods applied when performing tasks to promptly and accurately identify errant officers and soldiers.

Summarize the work of combating corruption in patrols and controls weekly to develop corrective measures for the entire traffic police force.

7. The General Police Department and provincial police must have specific plans to implement this Directive. The General Department and the Ministry's Inspectorate are responsible for coordinating with the General Police Department to supervise, direct, and inspect the implementation by local police units. At the same time, they must ensure working conditions and policies for officers and soldiers.

Through central and local mass media, continue to publicize laws and current regulations of the Ministry on traffic patrols and controls so that the public can be aware, comply, and monitor the implementation by the traffic police force.

In monthly reports from local police, the situation and efforts to rectify the traffic control force and combat corruption during duty performance must be clearly reflected.

This Directive must be thoroughly implemented by all officers and soldiers of the people's public security force to follow.