Decision No. 1943/2003/QĐ-BGTVT promulgates the Regulations on management, use, exploitation, and traffic safety for the new National Highway 1 section from Lang Son to Hanoi.

Pursuant to …;

Issuing the Regulation on Management, Use, and Safe Operation of Traffic on the Lang Son - Hanoi National Route 1 New Section

 for the Lang Son - Hanoi National Route 1 New Section

_____________________

THE MINISTER OF TRANSPORTATION

Pursuant to the Road Traffic Law dated June 29, 2001;

Pursuant to Decree No. 34/2003/NĐ-CP dated April 4, 2003 of the Government stipulating the functions, tasks, and organizational structure of the Ministry of Transport;

To effectively manage and operate, ensuring traffic safety and safety of works on the Hanoi - Lang Son National Route 1 New Section;

At the proposal of the Director of the Vietnam Highway Administration and the Head of the Legal Department,

Pursuant to …;

Article 1: This Decision promulgates the attached "Regulation on Management, Use, and Safe Operation of Traffic on the Lang Son - Hanoi National Route 1 New Section".

Article 2: This Decision shall take effect fifteen days from the date of publication in the Official Gazette.

Article 3: The following officials: the Director of the Ministry's Office, the Director of the Vietnam Highway Administration, the Head of the Legal Department, the Directors of the Transportation and Public Works Departments of Hanoi City, Bac Ninh Province, Bac Giang Province, and Lạng Sơn Province, and the Heads of relevant agencies and units shall be responsible for implementing this decision./.

REGULATIONS

MANAGEMENT, USE, AND SAFE OPERATION OF TRAFFIC ON THE LANG SON - HANOI NATIONAL ROUTE 1 NEW SECTION
(Issued together with Decision No. 1943/2003/QĐ-GTVT dated July 4, 2003)

Chapter 1:

GENERAL PROVISIONS

Article 1: This Regulation stipulates the management, use, and operation of the new National Route 1 from Friendship Pass - Lang Son (Km0) to Gia Lam - Hanoi (Km160+100) where it meets National Route 5 at Km5+300 (hereinafter referred to as the Lang Son - Hanoi Road) to guide all entities participating in traffic, state management agencies, related units, and residents along both sides of the road to implement and ensure traffic safety, safety of works, and effective exploitation of works.

In addition to strictly complying with this Regulation, all agencies, organizations, individuals residing or operating along both sides of the road and vehicles and persons participating in traffic must also comply with the Road Traffic Law and other related legal documents.

Article 2: The terms used in this Regulation are understood as follows:

1. Land of the Lang Son - Hanoi Road: is the part of land on which construction works of the road including bridges, roads, road shoulders, overpasses, intersections, parking areas, drainage systems, median strips, road signs, and other auxiliary facilities are built.

2. Safety Strip of the Lang Son - Hanoi Road: is the strip of land alongside both sides of the road to ensure traffic safety and protect the road works, limited by the boundary markers of the road right-of-way.

3. Land Clearance Strip: is the part of land that has been compensated and reclaimed for road construction and is limited by the boundary markers of the land clearance.

4. Motor Vehicle Lane: is the part of the road used for motorized vehicles to pass through.

5. Non-Motorized Vehicle and Pedestrian Lane: is the part of the road used for non-motorized vehicles and pedestrians to pass through.

6. Lane : is a portion of the motor vehicle lane divided longitudinally along the road, wide enough for safe vehicle travel.

7. Merge and Split Lane: is a lane designated for motorized vehicles to enter or exit the main road.

8. Median Strip: is a part of the road dividing the roadway into two separate lanes of traffic.

9. Shoulder Strip: is a part of the road dividing the motor vehicle lane on the Lang Son - Hanoi Road from the shoulder road or the safety strip of the road.

10. Level Crossing: is a road intersecting with the Lang Son - Hanoi Road at grade-separated interchanges (Lang Son - Bac Ninh section) or at-grade intersections (Bac Ninh - Hanoi section).

11. Shoulder Road: is a road running alongside both sides of the Bac Ninh - Hanoi section separated from the main road by guardrails and barriers for pedestrians, non-motorized vehicles, and slow-moving motorized vehicles needing to travel parallel to the Bac Ninh - Hanoi section or to access pedestrian crossings under people's bridges to cross the Bac Ninh - Hanoi Road.

12. People's Crossing: is a crossing for pedestrians, non-motorized vehicles, and motorized vehicles to pass under people's bridges to cross the Lang Son - Hanoi Road.

13. Overpass: is a bridge located above a crossing that spans over the Lang Son - Hanoi Road.

14. People's Bridge: is a bridge on the Lang Son - Hanoi Road spanning over a people's crossing.

Article 3: Strictly prohibited are farm trucks, self-made motorized vehicles not meeting technical standards, unregistered, or uninspected from circulating on the road.

Article 4: Safety Strip of the Lang Son - Hanoi Road:

1. Safety Strip of the Lang Son - Bac Ninh Section: According to planning, it is a first-class road with six lanes, so the width of the safety strip includes the land reserved for planned road construction and the safety strip according to regulations, totaling 20 meters (specifically measured from the centerline of the road outward each side being 38 meters excluding the width of the embankment or the width allocated for drainage channels plus the embankment). When setting boundary markers, they must be based on each cross-section to fit appropriately.

2. Safety Strip of the Bac Ninh - Hanoi Section: measured from the base of the shoulder road or the outermost edge of the approach road, intersection, or overpass outward each side 20 meters.

For dangerous structures such as explosive storage, flammable materials, chemical substances, brick kilns, or similar structures, in addition to the aforementioned distance, there must be an additional safe distance as prescribed.

3. Safety Strip for Bridges:

- Along the length of the bridge: from the end of the abutment outward each side 50 meters for bridges longer than 60 meters (measured from the end of the abutment to the end of the abutment); outward each side 30 meters for bridges shorter than 60 meters. In cases where the approach to the bridge is steeply inclined beyond the specified limit, the measurement starts from the end of the abutment to the end of the incline.

- Along the width of the bridge: from the outermost point of the bridge structure outward each side upstream and downstream:

+ 150 meters for bridges longer than 300 meters

+ 100 meters for bridges between 60 meters and 300 meters long

+ 50 meters for bridges between 20 meters and 60 meters long

+ 20 meters for bridges shorter than 20 meters.

4. Safety Strip for bridges within urban areas according to regulations.

Chapter 2:

PROVISIONS ON THE USE OF THE LANG SON - HANOI ROAD

Article 5: Local People's Committees shall refer to the boundary markers set by the road management agency to guide the public in using the land in accordance with the law..

Strictly prohibited is the construction or expansion of structures within the land reserved for planned road construction and the safety strip of the Lang Son - Hanoi Road.

Strictly prohibited is the reclamation of the cleared land strip that has already been compensated.

The exploitation of materials or construction of works not serving the safe operation of the Lang Son - Hanoi Road is strictly prohibited.

Within the traffic safety zone defined in Article 4, apart from the prohibitions mentioned above, the following regulations must also be adhered to:

1. No markets, service facilities, schools, residential buildings, or other constructions shall be built.

2. Advertising signs, especially those that emit light and do not serve traffic safety purposes, shall not be constructed.

3. Excavation of soil and rock, dumping of waste soil and rocks affecting drainage, environmental sanitation, and the safety of bridges and roads is strictly prohibited.

Article 6: According to the approved planning, the Lang Son - Hanoi Road is classified as a high-level road, thus it is prioritized. Currently, existing crossroads between Lang Son and Bac Ninh can intersect at the same level. In subsequent construction phases, different levels must be implemented. Specifically, for crossroads connecting to the Bac Ninh - Hanoi section, they must immediately be constructed at different levels.

New crossroads shall be strictly prohibited. For the construction of rest areas, service stations, industrial zones, and residential areas according to plans approved by the Government, Ministry of Trade, Ministry of Construction, Ministry of Transport, and provincial People's Committees based on their respective authority levels, each area or station may only connect with the Lang Son - Hanoi Road at one designated intersection point. When preparing project proposals, immediate agreement on the intersection location with the Ministry of Transport is required. The design and organization of traffic at the intersection must be carried out by transportation consulting agencies and must be agreed upon in writing by the Vietnam Highway Administration before submission to the competent authority for approval, ensuring the safety of the Lang Son - Hanoi Road.

Article 7: Based on the approved planning and initial construction projects, the Vietnam Highway Administration, Highway Management Zone II, and Highway Company 230 will cooperate with local People's Committees in Lang Son, Bac Giang, Bac Ninh provinces, and Hanoi City to repair, supplement, and fully establish boundary markers, land clearance markers, and prepare handover files for local management and protection. Annually, they will jointly inspect and maintain these markers to ensure their safety and stability.

Article 8: Speed limits on the road:

1. For the Hanoi - Bac Ninh section, which operates at high speeds, there is a dedicated lane between the two median strips for motor vehicles with actual speeds of 60 km/h or higher. Pedestrians, bicycles, motorcycles with engine capacities under 70 cm³, cyclos, farm trucks, and similar vehicles are strictly prohibited from traveling in this lane.³, tricycles, farm trucks, and similar vehicles operate.

All vehicles entering or exiting the Hanoi - Bac Ninh section must quickly move into the merging lanes to gradually reduce or increase speed, ensuring safe driving.

2. For the Lang Son - Bac Ninh section:

When driving on sections without posted speed limits, under dry road conditions and normal weather, drivers are not permitted to exceed the maximum speed limits below:

Under abnormal weather conditions such as rain, wet and slippery roads, fog, drivers must adjust their speed appropriately, lower than the maximum speed limit specified above.

- Pedestrians must always walk on sidewalks or pavements (where available), and when crossing the road, they must carefully observe and only cross when it is safe.

- Non-motorized vehicles and animal-drawn carts must always stay close to the right side of the road adjacent to the sidewalk. Drivers of animal-drawn carts must walk alongside the animals on the left side. Parking or stopping in unauthorized locations or occupying lanes intended for motor vehicles is strictly prohibited.

Article 9: Regulations on road usage

1. Participants in traffic must strictly follow the guidance of traffic signals, drive in the correct lanes, and comply with regulations for overtaking, turning, avoiding oncoming traffic, and reversing.

2. All types of vehicles and pedestrians must travel within designated lanes and speed limits. During rainy or slippery road conditions, speed must be reduced to a safe level but not exceeding the limits set forth in Article 8 of this Regulation or traffic sign instructions.

3. Vehicles approaching hazardous warning signs, markets, schools, pedestrian-only roads, wildlife areas, or similar signs must reduce speed to a minimum to ensure safety.

4. It is strictly prohibited for vehicle operators to park or stop improperly, carry oversized or overweight cargo obstructing traffic.

5. Staff and equipment of units managing and repairing the Lang Son - Hanoi Road, when occupying lanes for maintenance work, must do so neatly, with adequate signals, barriers, and personnel guiding traffic. Extensive construction across the full width of the road is strictly prohibited. In cases where road closure is unavoidable, the construction unit must implement temporary detours, install directional signs, and have personnel directing traffic.

6. Dumping materials, waste, oil, or grease on the road surface is strictly prohibited. Cargo carriers and drivers must securely tie down and cover their loads and are responsible for promptly cleaning up any spilled materials.

7. Large gatherings of people on the road are not allowed; sitting or playing on the road, guardrails, or crash barriers is prohibited.

8. Drying straw, crops, or other items on guardrails, median strips, traffic signs, or other parts of the road is not permitted.

9. Grazing cattle, buffalo, or livestock on the road surface is forbidden. If moving livestock is necessary, a person must lead them closely along the right shoulder of the road on the Lang Son - Hanoi section or use the bypass road on the Hanoi - Bac Ninh section.

10. Unauthorized removal, relocation, or tampering with traffic signs, guardrails, painted markings, crash barriers, or other traffic devices without permission from the competent authority is strictly prohibited.

11. It is not permitted to exploit signaling systems, median strips, fences, posts for displaying or advertising goods that impair aesthetics and traffic safety.

12. Strictly prohibited are the buying and selling of goods on sidewalks and safety zones.

13. Strictly prohibited are the unauthorized construction of crossroads, excavation, drilling, or cutting of roads, or any actions that damage transportation infrastructure.

Article 10: Provisions on Crossing Roads

1. Pedestrians, non-motorized vehicles, and motorized vehicles crossing from Bắc Ninh to Hà Nội must use designated lanes to reach pedestrian crossings or intersections to cross the road. Unauthorized breaching of barriers or median strips is strictly forbidden.

2. Pedestrians crossing the road on the section from Lạng Sơn to Bắc Ninh:

- Must walk within the dedicated pedestrian lanes where such lanes are provided.

- In areas without dedicated pedestrian lanes, pedestrians must stop to observe and only cross when there are no approaching vehicles, bearing full responsibility for their actions.

Chapter 3:

MANAGEMENT RESPONSIBILITIES

Article 11: The Ministry of Transport assigns the Vietnam Highway Administration as the specialized state management agency for national highways, responsible for unified management of the Lạng Sơn - Hà Nội highway. The Vietnam Highway Administration shall direct and supervise the Highway Management Zone II, Highway Company 230, closely cooperate with local authorities, Provincial Traffic Safety Committees, Road Traffic Police, and Administrative Management Police to effectively implement the following tasks:

1. Promote and educate about the Road Traffic Law, Decrees, sub-Laws, and this Regulation so that agencies, organizations, residents along both sides of the road, and all traffic participants understand and participate in managing and protecting the Lạng Sơn - Hà Nội highway according to the principle of "all citizens participating in maintaining traffic order and safety."

2. Implement Directive 22-CT/TW dated February 24, 2003 of the Party Central Committee's Secretariat and Resolution 13/2002/NQ-CP dated November 19, 2002 of the Government to control traffic accidents, reduce traffic congestion, and restore traffic order and safety on the Lạng Sơn - Hà Nội highway. The Highway Management Zone II must organize the implementation of responsibilities to maintain the stability and safety of infrastructure, ensuring smooth traffic flow; detect and support local authorities in protecting highway infrastructure and safety zones according to the law.

3. Coordinate with Administrative Management Police in managing parking lots, rest stations, safety zones, and other static traffic infrastructure.

4. Coordinate with Traffic Police in ensuring safe and smooth traffic flow.

Article 12: The Highway Management Zone II, Highway Company 230, and the Traffic Inspectorate are directly responsible for managing the Lạng Sơn - Hà Nội highway and shall:

1. Properly manage the bridge and road systems and traffic safety equipment implemented under the project.

2. Regularly repair and maintain bridges, roads, and traffic safety equipment to ensure they remain in good condition, meeting the technical standards for regular maintenance of highways as stipulated in Decision No. 1527/2003/QĐ-BGTVT dated May 28, 2003 issued by the Ministry of Transport.

3. Regularly patrol and inspect to promptly address any damages, losses, or other harmful acts, ensuring strict compliance with this Regulation.

Chapter 4:

REWARD AND VIOLATION HANDLING

Article 13: Agencies, organizations, and individuals who achieve outstanding results in managing and protecting traffic infrastructure and ensuring traffic safety on the Lạng Sơn - Hà Nội highway will be rewarded according to state regulations.

Article 14: Organizations and individuals violating provisions of the Road Traffic Law, guiding documents for the implementation of the Road Traffic Law, and this Regulation will be dealt with according to the law.

Respectfully submitted to: Deputy Minister Ngô Thịnh Đức

The new National Highway 1 from Lạng Sơn to Hà Nội has completed its initial phase. The Vietnam Highway Administration has drafted the Management, Utilization, and Operation Regulations for Ensuring Traffic Safety on the new National Highway 1 from Lạng Sơn to Hà Nội. Following the Deputy Minister's directive on May 6, 2003, the Vietnam Highway Administration solicited opinions from the Legal Affairs Department and the Quality Control and Supervision Bureau of Construction Projects. The Vietnam Highway Administration has incorporated these suggestions and respectfully reports to the Deputy Minister.

1. The Quality Control and Supervision Bureau of Construction Projects fully agrees with the draft.

2. The Legal Affairs Department provided comments on Articles 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 12 mainly regarding wording.

The Vietnam Highway Administration has incorporated these suggestions and respectfully submits to the Deputy Minister.

Director of the Vietnam Highway Administration

Thiều Đăng Khoa

Respectfully submitted to: Deputy Minister Ngô Thịnh Đức

The first phase of the Hồ Chí Minh Highway from Hòa Lạc (Hà Tây) to Tân Cảnh (Kon Tum) has been handed over to the Vietnam Highway Administration for management. To ensure safe and effective operation of this route, the Vietnam Highway Administration has drafted the Management, Utilization, and Operation Regulations for Ensuring Traffic Safety on the Hồ Chí Minh Highway - Phase 1. Following the Deputy Minister's directive on May 6, 2003, the Vietnam Highway Administration solicited opinions from the Legal Affairs Department, the Hồ Chí Minh Highway Project Management Board, and the Quality Control and Supervision Bureau of Construction Projects. On May 30, 2003, under the Deputy Minister's chairmanship, participants provided feedback, and the Deputy Minister made final conclusions. The Vietnam Highway Administration has incorporated these suggestions and revised accordingly.

The Vietnam Highway Administration respectfully submits to the Deputy Minister.

Director of the Vietnam Highway Administration

Thiều Đăng Khoa