Circular No. 131-VP/PC on the protection of traffic order and safety for railway transport

CIRCULAR

OF THE MINISTER OF TRANSPORTATION NO. 131/VP-PC
DATE APRIL 27, 1962 ON THE PROTECTION OF ORDER AND SAFETY IN RAILWAY TRANSPORT

In the process of industrializing socialist North Vietnam, the role and mission of the transportation industry, primarily the railway transportation sector, have become increasingly important in meeting the growing needs for construction, production, distribution, and circulation of goods, developing economic and cultural relations between our country and other socialist countries, serving the travel needs of workers, and supporting national defense consolidation.

The railway transportation sector is an industry that uses transport tools with extremely high risk characteristics. Therefore, the state of the tracks, bridges, culverts, and related facilities must be well protected to ensure absolute and continuous safety in railway transportation.

Since the restoration of peace, on the position of the country's masters, agencies, enterprises, construction sites, agricultural fields, cooperatives, and the people have actively participated in restoring, building, and protecting railways. However, there are still many deficiencies in the current protection of railways, causing difficulties and hindrances to train operations, such as:

- Digging ponds, ditches, tunnels, pits, and holding markets near the railway track.

- Pulling wood, pushing ox carts, or allowing motor vehicles to cross the railway where there are no guard rails or level crossings, throwing logs, or shooting rocks from hills onto the railway, damaging the tracks and ties, and damaging the roadbed.

- Building houses, setting up shops, storing goods close to the railway under telephone and telegraph wires; placing bamboo, palm leaves, sawdust, wood shavings, and other materials under bridge spans, and in some cases even cooking under bridge spans.

- Some agencies have strung power lines across railway telephone and telegraph wires without the consent of the Railway General Department, and improperly installed them, causing noise and interference that obstructs railway train dispatching.

- In some places, people plow, dig, and cultivate crops near the railway embankment, damaging the embankment, protective structures of telephone and telegraph poles, and damaging culvert openings.

- In some places, people lead or allow cattle to graze on the railway track, hindering train operations.

- There are still many instances of people sitting, playing, or lying on the railway track or bridge abutments.

These deficiencies have caused accidents, hindered transportation, and resulted in damage to state property, as well as the lives and property of the people.

To ensure safe train operation, prevent accidents, and eliminate all obstacles to transportation;

While awaiting the State to promulgate laws regarding the boundaries of railway rights-of-way;

The Ministry of Transport temporarily stipulates as follows:

1. No one shall encroach upon the railway tracks, bridges, culverts, telephone and telegraph poles and wires, and other facilities and reserve materials along the railway for railway transportation purposes.

2. Land allocated by the State for the railway sector to construct houses, roads, warehouses, yards, bridges, culverts, and other facilities for railway transportation, if marked by boundary markers or signs by the Railway General Department, shall not be encroached upon or used without permission.

3. Agencies and enterprises wishing to install power, broadcasting, telephone, and telegraph lines crossing or running parallel to railway telephone and telegraph lines must negotiate and obtain the agreement of the Railway General Department before proceeding.

For power, broadcasting, telephone, and telegraph lines installed by agencies and enterprises prior to the issuance of this circular that currently interfere with railway train dispatching, the Railway General Department will negotiate with these agencies and enterprises to develop a plan and measures for timely rectification within a specified period.

4. Warehouses containing weapons, explosives, toxic substances, and flammable materials must be constructed at a safe distance from the railway to avoid danger and loss.

5. Lime kilns, brick kilns, coal kilns, or any other structures must be built far enough from the railway to prevent damage to the roadbed, rail beds, and other obstructions to transportation.

6. People's farming activities, including plowing and planting crops, shall not encroach upon the railway embankment, structures, and reinforced foundations of signal poles and telephone and telegraph poles.

7. AT In areas without roads, people's movement must strictly follow the railway embankment, and they must be extremely cautious, taking every precaution to avoid trains from a distance to prevent accidents or obstruction of train operations.

8. AT In densely populated areas near railways that require constant passage through the railway, the Railway General Department must designate specific crossing points. All individuals must use the designated crossing points when passing through the railway.

9. Pedestrians and vehicles crossing at level crossings with or without gates must strictly adhere to the rules for crossing level crossings and follow the instructions of the level crossing gatekeepers (if present).

10. When moving heavy objects across level crossings requiring multiple people, prior notice must be given to the nearest station, and approval from the station master is required.

11. Pedestrians and vehicles crossing shared bridges must strictly comply with bridge crossing regulations and follow the instructions of the bridge gatekeepers.

12. Boats, rafts, speedboats, ships, and barges must anchor away from bridge piers and abutments.

If boats or rafts get stuck against bridge piers, their owners must immediately take measures to free them to prevent damage to the bridge.

If there is no one on board the boat or raft, bridge maintenance personnel may use any means necessary to protect the bridge.

13. To ensure that telephone and telegraph wires are not affected and to guarantee that drivers can see signals from signal posts when trains are 500 meters away from the station entrance and 800 meters away from advance warning posts, tall trees shall not be planted under or near signal wires, telephone and telegraph wires, signal posts, and telephone and telegraph poles. For tall trees already planted before the issuance of this Circular, railway authorities shall assist and guide the owners to prune branches and tops to ensure visibility for train control into the station.

14. The following acts are prohibited:

- Sitting, lying down, or walking on railway tracks at any time of day or night.

- Drying straw, dumping garbage, placing obstacles on railway tracks, on ties, or on signal wires.

- Digging ditches or ponds through railway tracks or digging ponds near railway tracks.

- Moving or altering the positions of railway signaling equipment along the tracks.

- Dragging logs or running vehicles such as cars or ox carts across railway tracks where there are no guard rails.

- Rolling rocks or throwing logs from hills onto railway tracks.

- Allowing cattle or other livestock to graze or walk within the station area or on the embankment alongside railway tracks.

- Blocking drainage culvert openings, building up earthworks in front of culvert openings, or prying stones from railway culvert openings.

- Playing, climbing, or hanging on bridge abutments, piers, or beams, except for railway employees performing maintenance or repair work on bridges.

- Mooring boats or rafts at the base of bridges.

- Cooking, lighting fires, constructing houses, or stacking flammable materials under bridges.

- Throwing or attaching any object to railway telephone or telegraph wires.

- Climbing telephone or telegraph poles, signal posts, except for railway employees performing maintenance or repair work on telephone, telegraph, and signal poles.

15. Individuals or organizations with achievements in protecting railways, preventing train accidents, or detecting individuals engaging in acts of sabotage against railways shall be commended or rewarded by the Ministry of Transport or recommended for commendation or reward by the Government.

Any actions violating the provisions of this Circular shall be punished according to state laws.

16. This Circular takes effect from May 1, 1962. Previous regulations contrary to this Circular are hereby abolished.

It is requested that administrative committees of provinces, cities, and regions widely disseminate this Circular to all agencies, organizations, enterprises, construction sites, agricultural farms, and the public.

The Railway Administration has the responsibility to coordinate and assist local administrative committees in implementing this Circular.

During implementation, if any difficulties arise, it is requested that local administrative committees and the Railway Administration report them to the Ministry of Transport for planning and resolution.

                                          Signed by the Minister of Transport

Vice Minister




Duong Bach Lien