Circular No. 32/2014/TT-BGTVT guiding the management, operation, and exploitation of rural traffic roads

CIRCULAR

Guidelines on management, operation, and exploitation of rural traffic roads

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On the basis of Decree No. 86/2012/NĐ-CP dated October 19, 2012, issued by the Government detailing and guiding implementation of certain provisions of the Metrology Law;

Pursuant to Decree No. 107/2012/NĐ-CP dated December 20, 2012 of the Government stipulating the functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of the Ministry of Transport;

Pursuant to Decree No. 11/2010/NĐ-CP dated February 24, 2010 of the Government on management and protection of road infrastructure and Decree No. 100/2013/NĐ-CP dated September 3, 2013 of the Government amending and supplementing certain articles of Decree No. 11/2010/NĐ-CP;

Pursuant to Decree No. 114/2010/NĐ-CP dated December 6, 2010 of the Government on maintenance of construction works;

Pursuant to Decree No. 15/2013/NĐ-CP dated February 6, 2013 of the Government on construction project quality management;

Considering the proposal of the Director of the Infrastructure Department and the Director General of the Vietnam Highway Administration,

The Minister of Transport issues this Circular guiding on management, operation, and exploitation of rural traffic roads.

PART I

GENERAL PROVISIONS

Article 1. Scope of Regulation and Applicability

Thông tư này quy định chi tiết khoản 4 Điều 38 Luật Thủy sản số 18/2017/QH14 đã được sửa đổi, bổ sung tại điểm c khoản 21 Điều 14 Luật số 146/2025/QH15.

a) This Circular guides the work of management, operation, and exploitation of rural traffic roads (including highway tunnels, ferry terminals, and underground roads).

b) Management, operation, and exploitation of bridges on rural traffic roads shall be carried out in accordance with Circular No. 12/2014/TT-BGTVT dated April 29, 2014 of the Minister of Transport guiding management, operation, and exploitation of bridges on rural traffic roads.

c) Maintenance of rural traffic roads shall be implemented in accordance with the provisions of Decree No. 114/2010/NĐ-CP dated December 6, 2010 of the Government on maintenance of construction works (hereinafter referred to as Decree No. 114/2010/NĐ-CP) and Circular No. 52/2013/TT-BGTVT dated December 12, 2013 of the Minister of Transport on management, exploitation, and maintenance of road works (hereinafter referred to as Circular No. 52/2013/TT-BGTVT).

Thông tư này áp dụng đối với tổ chức, cá nhân có liên quan đến hoạt động kinh doanh đối tượng thủy sản nuôi chủ lực trên lãnh thổ Việt Nam.

This Circular applies to organizations and individuals related to the management, operation, and exploitation of rural traffic roads.

Article 2. Interpretation of Terms

In this Circular, the following terms are understood as follows:

1. Rural traffic roads (hereinafter referred to as rural roads) include: village trunk roads, inter-village roads, village branch roads; roads within alleys and residential areas; main internal agricultural field roads.

2. Road management agency are the agencies performing specialized state management functions under the Ministry of Transport; specialized agencies under provincial People's Committees (hereinafter referred to as provincial level), district-level People's Committees (hereinafter referred to as district level); commune-level People's Committees (hereinafter referred to as commune level).

3. Rural Road Managing User is a general term for organizations entrusted by competent state authorities to manage, operate, and exploit rural roads funded by the State; Investors for rural roads not funded by the State; community residents for rural roads funded by community contributions or other organizations and individuals contributing capital for construction, management, operation, and maintenance.

Directly managing and operating units of rural roads (hereinafter referred to as Rural Road Management Units) are organizations or individuals entrusted by the Rural Road Managing User to undertake tasks, sign contracts to implement the management, operation, and exploitation of rural roads, and regular maintenance of rural roads.

5. Special structures on rural roads is a general term for highway tunnels, ferry terminals, and underground roads on rural roads.

Article 3. Requirements for management, operation, and exploitation of rural roads

1. Management, operation, and exploitation of rural roads must ensure traffic safety, safety of road structures, safety of people, property, and other structures within the safe zone of rural roads, prevent fires and explosions, and protect the environment.

2. Rural roads must meet quality requirements when put into operation and exploitation.

3. Strictly prohibit all organizations and individuals from committing the following acts:

a) Unauthorized removal, installation, or destruction of parts or components of rural road structures that impair their functionality;

b) Unauthorized occupation or illegal use of the safe zone of rural roads;

c) Unauthorized use of parts or components of rural road structures or land of rural roads;

d) Unauthorized installation of water pipes, drainage pipes, power cables, optical fibers, telecommunications cables, and other structures onto parts or components of rural roads or within the safe zone of rural roads.

Article 4. Responsibilities for managing and operating national road infrastructure

1. Determining the Subject managing and using national road infrastructure:

a) For national roads funded by the State, the Subject managing and using national road infrastructure shall be determined according to the regulations of the provincial People's Committee on the delegation and decentralization to various levels of People's Committees, Departments of Transport, and subordinate agencies in managing and operating national road infrastructure within their jurisdiction.

b) For national roads funded by community contributions or organizations and individuals, the Investor shall be the Subject managing and using the national road infrastructure.

In cases where the community, individual investors complete the construction of national roads but lack the capacity to manage and use them, the agency delegated and decentralized as stipulated in point a, Clause 1, Article 4 of this Law shall assume the rights and obligations of the Subject managing and using the national road infrastructure.

c) In cases where national roads are constructed with multiple sources of funding, the parties contributing capital shall jointly select the Subject managing and using the national road infrastructure.

2. The Subject managing and using the national road infrastructure shall be responsible under the law and superior authorities (if any) for managing and operating the national road infrastructure in accordance with this Circular and relevant laws.

3. The Subject managing and using the national road infrastructure may delegate tasks, assign responsibilities, and enter into contracts with Road Management Units to perform part or all of the work related to managing and operating the national road infrastructure. In such cases, the Subject managing and using the national road infrastructure still bears responsibility for managing and operating the national road infrastructure.

4. The Road Management Unit shall be responsible according to the delegation, assignment documents, and contracts signed with the Subject managing and using the national road infrastructure, and shall be accountable under the law for managing and operating the national road infrastructure in accordance with the assigned content and provisions of this Circular.

Chapter II

GUIDELINES FOR THE PREPARATION, REVIEW, APPROVAL AND USE OF MANAGEMENT PROCEDURES,

OPERATING AND EXPLOITING SPECIAL INFRASTRUCTURE ON NATIONAL ROADS

Article 5. Procedures for managing and operating special infrastructure on national roads

1. Procedures for managing and operating must be established for the following special infrastructure projects on national roads that are newly constructed or improved:

a) Land-based ferry terminals;

b) Underground roads;

c) Highway tunnels equipped with ventilation systems and other operational equipment;

d) Other cases as specified by the Investment Decision Maker or the Investor.

2. Procedures for managing and operating must be established for the following existing special infrastructure projects on national roads:

a) Projects specified in points a, b, and c of Clause 1 of this Article;

b) Other cases as specified by the Subject managing and using the national road infrastructure.

3. Procedures for managing and operating special infrastructure on national roads can be established separately or together with maintenance procedures for special infrastructure on national roads.

Article 6. Organization for preparing, reviewing and approving management and operation procedures for special infrastructure on national roads

1. For new or improved special infrastructure projects on national roads:

a) Technical design consultants (for three-stage design projects) and construction drawing design consultants (for single-stage or two-stage design projects) shall be responsible for establishing the management and operation procedures.

If technical design consultants do not establish the management and operation procedures, the Investor shall be responsible for selecting another organization with sufficient capability and experience to establish the management and operation procedures.

b) The Investor shall be responsible for reviewing and approving the management and operation procedures for special infrastructure on national roads.

When necessary, the Investor may hire consulting firms to review the management and operation procedures for special infrastructure on national roads before approval. Consulting firms conducting reviews shall be responsible for the quality and content of the reviewed procedures.

c) Equipment suppliers (if applicable) shall be responsible for transferring management and operation procedures for the equipment they supply to the Investor.

2. For existing special infrastructure projects on national roads:

a) Special infrastructure projects on national roads funded by the State or utilizing state funds for management and operation, the Subject managing and using the national road infrastructure shall organize the preparation, review, and approval of management and operation procedures in accordance with the regulations of the provincial People's Committee.

b) Special infrastructure projects on national roads funded by community contributions or organizations and individuals, the Subject managing and using the national road infrastructure shall be responsible for organizing the preparation, review, and approval of management and operation procedures.

c) The preparation of management and operation procedures for special infrastructure on national roads by the Subject managing and using the national road infrastructure can be done independently or through hiring competent and experienced consulting firms.

3. In cases where the District People's Committee, Commune People's Committee, community, or individual is the Investor or the Subject managing and using the national road infrastructure, prior to approving the management and operation procedures for special infrastructure on national roads, they must consult with the Department of Transport.

Article 7. Content of the Management, Operation, and Exploitation Procedure for Special Works on National Highway Routes

The Management, Operation, and Exploitation Procedure for Special Works on National Highway Routes includes the following contents:

1. General provisions:

a) Scope of regulation and objects subject to application of the Procedure;

b) Effectiveness of applying the Procedure;

c) Legal normative documents issued by competent state agencies related to the establishment of the Procedure and organization of management, operation, and exploitation of special works on national highway routes;

d) Technical standards and regulations cited for management, operation, and exploitation of works, including: technical standards and regulations used for designing works, main materials used for constructing works, design technical standards and regulations for special works on national highway routes, and other technical standards and regulations;

đ) Reference documents and cited documents;

e) Documentation files about the work during the implementation phase of investment construction and completion drawings are documents serving management, operation, and exploitation of special works on national highway routes. The Procedure must include general information about the scope of the work, parts, and sections of the work, equipment installed in the work (if any);

g) Other necessary contents.

2. Tasks carried out from the time of receiving special works on national highway routes for operation and exploitation.

a) Receiving completed investment construction works for operation and exploitation;

b) Determining the scope of management and protection of the work;

c) Establishing, managing, using, and storing documentation files serving management, operation, and exploitation of the work;

d) Installing road signs, boards guiding management, operation, and exploitation of the work;

đ) Organizing traffic;

e) Patrols and monitoring the condition of the work;

g) Technical inspection of the work;

h) Repairing and rectifying defects detected during patrols and technical inspections;

i) Handling works under exploitation showing signs of deterioration in quality, not ensuring safety for exploitation and use; handling work incidents;

k) Other necessary provisions.

3. Other documents, including tables, appendices, forms, video recordings, photographs, and guidance documents for management, operation, and exploitation of special works on national highway routes.

4. In addition to the contents stipulated in Clauses 1, 2, and Clause 3 of this Article, based on the scale, nature, characteristics of each work, and provisions in Chapter III of this Circular, organizations and individuals responsible for establishing, reviewing, and approving must supplement necessary contents into the Management, Operation, and Exploitation Procedure for special works on national highway routes to ensure safety and maintain the lifespan of the work.

Article 8. Using the Management, Operation, and Exploitation Procedure for Special Works on National Highway Routes and Adjusting the Procedure During the Operation and Exploitation Period

1. After issuance, the Management, Operation, and Exploitation Procedure serves as a document for management, operation, and exploitation of special works on national highway routes.

2. For works on national highway routes that do not require the establishment of a Management, Operation, and Exploitation Procedure, the provisions in Chapter III of this Circular shall be applied to manage and exploit the works in accordance with their scale, nature, structure, age, natural conditions, and operational conditions of the national highway route.

3. For special works on national highway routes with a Management, Operation, and Exploitation Procedure issued before the effective date of this Circular, the National Highway Route Management Authority shall refer to this Circular to adjust and supplement necessary contents for management, operation, and exploitation.

4. During the process of management, operation, and exploitation, when deemed necessary, the National Highway Route Management Authority shall organize adjustments and supplements to the Procedure and submit for approval according to Articles 5 and 6 of this Circular.

Chapter III

CONTENTS OF MANAGEMENT, OPERATION AND EXPLOITATION OF NATIONAL HIGHWAY ROUTES

Article 9. Acceptance of completed investment construction of national road for operation and exploitation

1. Prior to putting the national road into operation and exploitation, the Investor shall be responsible for:

a) Completing all procedures related to investment and construction management of the project in accordance with regulations;

b) Installing all traffic signs, boards guiding the management and operation of special works and traffic safety systems in accordance with Clause 12 of this Circular;

c) Handing over to the National Road Management Authority the documents and files specified in Clause 1 of Article 11 of this Circular.

2. When handing over the national road, the Investor, the contractor, the supervising organization, and other organizations and individuals involved in the construction phase, together with the National Road Management Authority, shall conduct inspections and reviews of the components and parts of the national road project (including the boards guiding the management and operation of special works as stipulated in point b of Clause 1 of this Article). In case there are defects or deficiencies in quality, they must be rectified to ensure compliance with design requirements before the handover can be organized.

3. After receiving the handover and putting the national road into operation and exploitation, the National Road Management Authority must notify in writing the Department of Transport, the People's Committee of the district, the People's Committee of the commune, and the village authorities about the time of operation and exploitation of the national road, permissible load capacity, permitted speed, and the allowable width for participation in traffic on the national road, as well as other necessary contents.

4. During the warranty period as prescribed, the Investor and the construction contractor shall be responsible for implementing repairs, rectifying defects, replacing damaged parts and sections, and fulfilling their obligations under the laws on construction.

Article 10. Determination of the scope of management and protection of national roads

The scope of management and protection of national roads includes:

1. Works on the national road;

2. The land area allocated for the road, including the safe road corridor and the land of the road according to the provisions of the Road Traffic Law, Decree No. 11/2010/NĐ-CP dated February 24, 2010 of the Government on management and protection of road infrastructure, and Decree No. 100/2013/NĐ-CP dated September 3, 2013 of the Government amending and supplementing some articles of Decree No. 11/2010/NĐ-CP;

3. The lighting system installed on the road or on parts belonging to the national road (if any).

Article 11. Establishment, preservation, and storage of management and operation documents of national roads

1. At least ten days prior to handing over and putting the national road into operation and exploitation, the Investor must hand over to the National Road Management Authority the following documents and materials:

a) Maintenance procedures, except in cases where maintenance procedures do not need to be established according to Clause 4 of Article 6 of Decree No. 114/2010/NĐ-CP;

In cases where national standards for maintenance issued by competent state agencies or maintenance procedures of similar road projects are used, the Investor and the design consultant must adjust and supplement necessary contents to suit the national road managed by themselves before handing over to the National Road Management Authority;

b) Procedures for managing and operating the exploitation of special works on the national road as stipulated in Clause 1 of Article 5 of this Circular;

c) Design drawings, completion drawings, compensation and land clearance documents, actual boundary markers of the road safety corridor;

d) List of equipment, spare parts, and materials not yet installed or used during the construction phase (if any);

đ) Safety inspection reports (if any);

e) Elevation and coordinate markers of the national road construction project.

2. During the management and operation process, the National Road Management Authority and the Road Management Unit shall be responsible for establishing the following documents and materials:

a) Establish and record patrol logs to monitor the condition of the national road;

b) Register the national road;

c) Technical inspection documents, evaluation reports of the road condition;

d) Documents and materials related to regular and emergency repairs, results of quality inspections of works (if any);

đ) Documents and minutes dealing with violations against the national road and its safety corridor;

e) Documents related to traffic safety;

g) Vehicle counting data on the road (if any); number of vehicles passing through each ferry trip;

3. The documents and materials specified in Clauses 1 and 2 of this Article serve the management and operation of the national road and shall be stored and preserved as follows:

a) The National Road Management Authority shall store and preserve the documents and materials as stipulated in points b, c, d, đ, and e of Clause 1 of this Article;

b) The Road Management Unit shall store all documents and materials as stipulated in Clauses 1 and 2 of this Article.

4. The retention period for management documents of the national road shall be implemented in accordance with the laws on archiving, but shall not be less than the lifespan of the national road.

Article 12. Road signs and special works on national highway transport routes

National highway transport routes must be equipped with road signs and traffic safety systems according to the provisions of the National Technical Regulation QCVN 41:2012/BGTVT issued together with Circular No. 17/2012/TT-BGTVT dated May 29, 2012 of the Minister of Transport on "National Technical Regulations for Road Signs" (hereinafter referred to as QCVN 41:2012/BGTVT), install guidance boards and other safety measures, including:

1. For the road section, the following signs shall be installed:

a) The "Weight Limit for Vehicles" sign (Sign number 115); In cases where there is a weight limit per axle, the "Weight Limit per Axle" sign (Sign number 116) shall be installed;

b) The "Maximum Speed Allowed" regulatory sign (Sign number 127);

c) If there is a prohibition for certain types of vehicles, the corresponding prohibition sign for that type of vehicle shall be installed (For example, if all trucks over 1.5 tons are prohibited from passing through a section of road, the "No Trucks" sign (Sign number 106a) shall be installed);

d) Where the national highway transport route intersects with railway tracks with barriers, the "Intersection with Railways with Barriers" sign (Sign number 210) shall be installed; if there are no barriers, the "Intersection with Railways without Barriers" sign (Sign number 211a) shall be installed;

đ) At intersections with national highways, provincial roads, or district roads, the "Intersection with Priority Roads" sign (Sign number 208) shall be installed;

e) When entering densely populated areas, the "Start of Densely Populated Area" sign (Sign number 420) shall be installed; when exiting such areas, the "End of Densely Populated Area" sign (Sign number 421) shall be installed;

g) Where the national highway transport route passes through areas near rivers, lakes, or deep ravines, the "Bank, Deep Ravine Ahead" sign (Sign number 215) shall be installed, and protective guardrails shall be constructed according to the regulations of QCVN 41:2012/BGTVT;

h) Other appropriate road signs in accordance with traffic organization, operational conditions, and the condition of the route;

2. For tunnel sections, the following signs shall be installed:

a) The "Tunnel" sign (Sign number 240);

b) The "Height Limit" sign (Sign number 117) and the "Width Limit" sign (Sign number 118);

c) If it is necessary to prohibit dangerous goods vehicles from passing through the tunnel, the "No Dangerous Goods Vehicles" sign (Sign number 106c) shall be installed;

d) If it is necessary to limit the maximum speed allowed through the tunnel, the "Maximum Speed Allowed" sign (Sign number 127) shall be installed;

đ) Other appropriate road signs in accordance with traffic organization through the tunnel;

3. For ferry terminals, the following road signs shall be installed:

a) The "Ferry Terminal" sign (Sign number 217);

b) If there is a weight limit for vehicles crossing the ferry, the "Weight Limit for Vehicles" sign (Sign number 115) shall be installed; if certain types of vehicles are not allowed to cross the ferry, the corresponding prohibition sign for those vehicles shall be installed (For example, if vehicles exceeding a specified length are prohibited from crossing the ferry, the "Length Limit for Vehicles" sign (Sign number 119) shall be installed);

c) The "Maximum Speed Allowed" sign (Sign number 127) when entering and exiting the ferry terminal;

d) A "Stop" sign (Sign number 122) shall be placed at the entrance gate of the ferry terminal for staff to control and direct vehicles onto the ferry;

đ) Other appropriate road signs in accordance with traffic organization through the ferry;

4. For underground passages, the following signs shall be installed:

a) The "Underground Passage" sign (Sign number 216);

b) Traffic markers shall be installed on both sides of the underground passage and water level gauges shall be set up to monitor the water level in the underground passage;

c) Other necessary road signs;

5. For village trunk roads, alley roads, and equivalent residential areas, main rural roads with technical standards lower than Class VI and operating speeds less than 15 km/h, the size of the signs, the size of the letters, the border around the signs, and the drawings on the signs shall be 0.70 times the size specified in QCVN 41:2012/BGTVT. Other contents shall comply with the provisions of QCVN 41:2012/BGTVT;

6. Guidance boards for participating in traffic on special works on national highway transport routes shall record the content as prescribed in Appendix I attached to this Circular;

7. For areas inhabited by ethnic minorities, tourist sites, in addition to installing road signs according to current regulations and providing guidance boards in Vietnamese, the following additional measures shall be implemented:

a) Supplementing guidance in the script of the ethnic minority group (if they have their own script) on the guidance boards;

b) If necessary, supplementing English or other foreign language guidance at tourist sites.

Article 13. Traffic Organization on National Highway Roads

1. The content of traffic organization shall be carried out in accordance with Clause 1 of Article 37 of the Road Traffic Law and the following provisions:

a) Dividing lanes, streams, and routes for pedestrians and vehicles participating in traffic, and stipulating travel times (if necessary) to suit actual conditions;

b) Stipulating one-way sections, places where stopping and parking are prohibited, places where turning around is prohibited, and restricted roads (if necessary);

c) Installing road traffic signal systems in accordance with Article 12 of this Circular;

d) Publicly announcing in a timely manner when there are changes in traffic streams, routes, temporary or long-term travel times; implementing rescue measures when incidents occur and other measures concerning road traffic to ensure smooth and safe traffic flow.

2. The person responsible for organizing traffic on the national highway road system shall implement according to the regulations of the Provincial People's Committee.

3. The management and usage subject of the national highway road, the road management unit shall be responsible for:

a) Organizing and guiding participants in traffic to comply with the provisions of Clause 1 of this Article and adhering to traffic organization regulations stipulated by competent authorities as provided in Clause 2 of this Article;

b) Propagating and guiding the public to understand and comply with traffic regulations and regulations concerning the management, operation, and exploitation of national highway roads.

Article 14. Patrol and Monitoring of National Highway Road Conditions

1. The work of patrolling and monitoring the condition of national highway roads shall be organized and implemented by the management and usage subject of the national highway road through the following forms:

a) The management and usage subject of the national highway road directly organizes and implements patrol and monitoring work of the road conditions;

b) The management and usage subject of the national highway road assigns tasks, signs contracts for the road management unit to carry out part or all of the patrol and monitoring work of the road; supervising and inspecting the road management unit's implementation of patrol and monitoring of national highway road conditions.

2. The content of patrol, monitoring, and handling during patrol of national highway road conditions includes:

a) Patrolling, monitoring, and detecting abnormal conditions, accidents, and traffic jams caused by road construction projects, other constructions affecting traffic safety (if any);

b) Statistics on the quantity, location, technical status of road construction projects, boundary marker systems, road boundary markers, current state of road safety zones; regular inspections to detect damages and encroachments on the construction;

In cases where repair conditions are met, road patrol staff must immediately repair damages affecting traffic safety. In cases where repair conditions are not met, road patrol staff must promptly report to the road management unit and the management and usage subject of the national highway road for handling.

c) Detecting violations, reporting to the road management unit and the management and usage subject of the national highway road for handling in accordance with regulations.

In cases exceeding authority, reports shall be made to the Commune People's Committee or the District People's Committee or competent state agencies for handling in accordance with regulations.

3. The content of patrol, monitoring, and handling during patrol of special works on national highway roads:

The patrol, monitoring, and handling during patrol of special works on national highway roads must be carried out in accordance with the provisions of Clause 2 of this Article and the following provisions:

a) For underground roads: checking and detecting damages to the subgrade, surface, retaining walls, foundations, slopes of underground roads; two-sided road sign systems, traffic signs, guide boards, water level gauges; if signs, posts, and water level gauges are tilted or fallen, they must be re-erected. During rain, floods, or submerged underground roads, water levels and flow rates must be monitored to decide on limited speed and other restrictions to ensure traffic safety, or temporarily stop operations when water levels and flow rates exceed safe operating limits specified in Appendix I issued together with this Circular;

b) For tunnel roads: checking and detecting damages to tunnels, subgrades, surfaces, tunnel traffic signal systems, and entrance areas; drainage capacity of the tunnel; lighting systems (if any) and other construction components; checking cleaning work inside the tunnel;

c) For ferry terminals: detecting damages to ferry terminal subgrades and surfaces, construction components at the water edge and both sides of the ferry terminal, and other components; checking the status of traffic signal systems and traffic safety facilities; checking the safety of ferry anchoring; monitoring water levels and flow rates to report to the ferry operation management unit or competent authority to limit load capacity, speed, or temporarily suspend operations;

d) Other contents shall be carried out in accordance with the management, operation, and exploitation procedures for special works on national highway roads.

4. In cases where traffic safety is compromised during patrol, the following actions shall be taken:

a) Immediately implement temporary traffic safety measures, limit loads, and speeds;

b) Temporarily halt traffic when danger is perceived and immediately report to the Commune People's Committee, the management and usage subject of the national highway road to decide on traffic rerouting;

c) Other necessary actions.

5. Record patrol and monitoring of national highway road conditions in a logbook. The logbook content includes:

a) Time of patrol;

b) Person conducting the patrol;

c) Damages detected; repairs made during patrol, damages that were not repaired due to lack of conditions, and recommendations for regular maintenance, periodic or emergency repairs, and other necessary actions;

d) Violations resolved, unresolved violations, and recommendations for handling;

e) Comments on traffic safety assurance; recommendations for competent authorities to handle existing issues. The road patrol and monitoring staff must sign and clearly write their names after recording the logbook.

The model of the patrol and monitoring logbook for national highway road conditions is attached in Appendix II issued together with this Circular.

6. The number of patrols and monitoring of the status of national traffic roads shall be carried out according to the requirements of competent state agencies, based on each type of road and works on national traffic roads, the capacity of the road users' management subject, but not less than the following provisions:

a) Continuous 24/24 hours at underground roads and land-based ferry terminals during typhoons, floods, inundations, and water levels exceeding permissible exploitation heights;

b) Not less than once per day for land-based ferry terminals, underground roads, and locations with potential landslide risks during the rainy season;

c) Not less than once per week for sections of the road and other cases;

7. The patrol and monitoring work of the status of national traffic roads shall be conducted independently or combined with regular maintenance work on national traffic roads.

Article 15. Technical inspection of works on national traffic roads

1. Technical inspection of works on national traffic roads is the act of examining visually or using specialized equipment to assess the current condition of the works to identify signs of damage to works on national traffic roads, including: technical inspection of road sections, underground roads, land-based ferry terminals, and road tunnels.

2. Technical inspection of road sections:

a) Inspection of the road base at locations prone to subsidence, slope failure, rock rolling in areas passing through cliff zones, dangerous mountain passes, and locations at risk of flooding; inspection of the stability and assessment of damages (if any) of retaining walls and barriers;

b) Inspection of the performance of the road surface through evaluation of flatness, cross-slope, and slipperiness phenomena; assessment of damages on the road surface and shoulders;

c) Inspection of drainage capability and the operational status of the drainage system (culverts, longitudinal ditches, catch basins, inspection chambers, curb gutters, and other components); assessment of other damages (if any);

d) Inspection and assessment of the status of traffic sign systems and traffic safety facilities.

3. Technical inspection of underground roads shall be carried out according to the management and operation procedures of underground roads and the following provisions:

a) Inspection of the technical condition of underground roads before and after the end of the rainy season to take measures to repair and address any damages (if any). The inspection focuses on the stability, damages (if any) of retaining walls, foundations, slopes, and the underground road bed; width, cracking, breaking, lifting, potholes, and subsidence of the underground road surface structure; guideposts on both sides of the underground road, traffic signs, directional boards, and water level markers;

b) During the rainy season, inspections shall be conducted to detect newly occurring damages for timely repairs to ensure smooth and safe traffic flow.

4. Technical inspection of land-based ferry terminals shall be carried out according to the management and operation procedures of ferry terminals and the following provisions:

a) Inspection of the operation of the ferry terminal (the connecting road section from the terminal to the main road, the foundation and surface of the ferry terminal, the terminal head structures, the shoreline area and both sides of the terminal, and other terminal structures); inspection of the status of traffic sign systems, directional boards, and traffic safety facilities; inspection and assessment of any damages (if any);

b) Inspections of river signaling systems (if any), buoys, and lifeboats shall be conducted according to laws on inland waterways and related regulations;

c) For ferries and towing, pulling, and pushing equipment (speedboats and other equipment, engines), technical inspections shall be carried out according to the management and operation procedures and maintenance of the equipment and related regulations.

5. Technical inspection of road tunnels shall be carried out according to the management and operation procedures of road tunnels and the following provisions:

a) Inspection of the traffic conditions of vehicles passing through the tunnel; the status of the tunnel, the road surface, the traffic sign system, directional boards within the tunnel and at the tunnel entrances; drainage capability of the tunnel; lighting system (if any) and other components;

b) For equipment serving tunnel operations (ventilation systems, traffic control systems, and other equipment), inspections shall be carried out according to the management, operation, and maintenance procedures of the equipment.

6. Responsibilities for conducting technical inspections:

a) The road users' management subject shall conduct technical inspections themselves. In cases where they lack the necessary capacity and conditions, the road users' management subject may entrust the road management unit or hire consulting organizations with sufficient capacity to carry out the inspections.

b) The frequency of periodic and unscheduled technical inspections shall be determined by the management subject of the works based on the current status of the national traffic roads, but shall not be less than the number of times specified in Appendix III issued together with this Circular.

c) When discovering that works on national traffic roads are damaged, deteriorated, and pose a risk of traffic safety incidents in the jurisdictional area, the specialized agencies under the People's Committee of the district and commune must cooperate with the road users' management subject to inspect and determine the exploitable capacity. In cases of loss of safety, exploitation must be immediately suspended to address the issue and organize traffic diversion.

7. Upon completion of technical inspections, organizations and individuals involved in the implementation must prepare inspection reports containing the following contents:

a) Name of the road and works on national traffic roads inspected;

b) Date and year of inspection;

c) Name of the organization, individual, specialist, or consultant conducting the inspection;

d) Results of the inspection of works;

đ) Observations and assessments of the current exploitation status of national traffic roads and works at the time of inspection; comparison with previous inspections;

e) Recommendations for repair and remediation work or other recommendations (if any).

Article 16. Repairing and rectifying defects and deficiencies that cannot be addressed at the patrol and technical inspection stage

1. Defects and damages of works on national road discovered during patrols, monitoring, and technical inspections but which cannot be immediately repaired must be planned for repair by the National Road Management Authority.

2. The National Road Management Authority shall organize regular repairs, emergency repairs, or quality inspections (if necessary) according to the provisions of Decree No. 114/2010/NĐ-CP and other relevant laws.

Article 17. Handling national roads under operation showing signs of deterioration in quality and not ensuring safety for exploitation; handling incidents of works

1. Upon discovering or receiving notification that works on national roads show signs of deterioration in quality and do not ensure safety for exploitation, the National Road Management Authority must immediately implement the following regulations:

a) Inspect the works, and if necessary, conduct a quality assessment of the works;

b) Implement measures to ensure traffic safety and safety of works on national roads;

c) Immediately report to the People's Committee of the commune where the incident occurred and their superior agency (if applicable);

d) Within 24 hours, submit a written report to the People's Committee of the district and the People's Committee of the province. For works classified as Class II or higher or works that may cause disasters upon failure, reports must be submitted to the Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Construction as prescribed;

The classification of works referred to herein shall be implemented according to the provisions of Appendix I of Circular No. 10/2013/TT-BXD dated July 25, 2013, issued by the Minister of Construction detailing certain aspects of construction project quality management (hereinafter referred to as Circular No. 10/2013/TT-BXD).

e) Repair damages that pose risks to operational safety of national roads according to the provisions of this Circular and other relevant laws;

f) Implement protective measures to ensure safety and minimize the risk of collapse of works on national roads causing serious incidents.

In cases where the National Road Management Authority lacks the capacity and expertise to implement protective measures, the National Road Management Authority shall request guidance from State Management Agencies and People's Committees at all levels to implement protective measures for the works.

2. Upon receiving reports or discovering works on national roads showing signs of deterioration and not ensuring safety for exploitation, the State Management Agency receiving the report as stipulated in Clause 1 of this Article shall have the responsibility to:

a) Organize inspections, notify, require, and guide the National Road Management Authority to organize surveys, quality assessments, hazard evaluations, and implement repairs or demolition of parts of the works if necessary;

b) Apply measures prescribed in points a, b, and c of Clause 1 of this Article if the National Road Management Authority is unable to implement them;

c) Hold accountable the National Road Management Authority for failing to comply with the requirements of the State Management Agency as stipulated in points a and b of this clause.

3. All organizations and individuals have the responsibility to report to the National Road Management Authority, the National Road Management Unit, the State Management Agency, and local authorities at all levels when they discover incidents or quality deterioration of works on national roads that do not ensure safety, so that timely handling can be carried out according to the provisions of this Circular.

4. Handling incidents involving works or the risk of collapse of works shall be carried out according to the provisions of Decree No. 15/2013/NĐ-CP dated December 6, 2013, of the Government on construction project quality management, and the provisions of Clause 3 of Article 30 and Article 31 of Circular No. 10/2013/TT-BXD, and other relevant laws.

Chapter IV

IMPLEMENTATION

Article 18. Responsibilities of the People's Committee at the provincial level

1. Based on the provisions of this Circular, issue regulations on the division of responsibilities for management, operation, and traffic organization on national roads; regulations on approving management and operation procedures for special works on national roads within its jurisdiction.

2. Direct, inspect the implementation of responsibilities by People's Committees at all levels, Departments of Transport, and subordinate agencies regarding the management and operation of national roads as stipulated in this Circular.

3. Handle complaints from People's Committees at all levels, Departments of Transport, and subordinate agencies concerning national road works within their jurisdiction that are damaged, deteriorated, and unsafe.

Article 19. Responsibilities of the District People's Committee

1. Organize the management, operation, and traffic organization of national roads according to the division of responsibilities assigned by the People's Committee at the provincial level and the provisions of the law.

2. Direct, inspect, and guide the implementation of responsibilities by People's Committees at the commune level, managers of national road usage, and subordinate agencies regarding the management and operation of national roads within their jurisdiction as stipulated in this Circular.

3. Annually, compile and classify types of national roads within their jurisdiction; summarize the situation of management, operation, and maintenance of national roads, lists of works on national roads within their jurisdiction that are damaged, deteriorated, and not safe for operation to report and propose solutions to the People's Committee at the provincial level and send to the Department of Transport.

Article 20. Responsibilities of the People's Committee at the commune level

1. Organize the management, operation, and traffic organization of national roads according to the division of responsibilities assigned by higher-level People's Committees and the provisions of the law.

2. Inspect, guide, and urge communities, organizations, and individuals to fulfill their responsibilities regarding the management and operation of national roads owned by communities, organizations, and individuals as stipulated in this Circular.

3. Annually, compile and classify types of national roads within their jurisdiction; summarize the situation of management, operation, and maintenance of national roads, lists of works on national roads within their jurisdiction that are damaged, deteriorated, and not safe for operation to report and propose solutions to the People's Committee at the district level.

Article 21. Responsibilities of the Department of Transport

1. Advise the People's Committee at the provincial level on implementing the provisions of Article 18 of this Circular.

2. Guide and inspect, within their authority, the implementation of regulations on the management, operation, and traffic organization of the national road system, compile and classify national roads.

3. Annually, compile and summarize national roads by classification and length to report to the People's Committee at the provincial level and the Ministry of Transport; summarize the situation of management, operation, and maintenance of all national roads within their jurisdiction, lists of works on national roads that are damaged, deteriorated, and not safe for operation to report and propose solutions to the People's Committee at the provincial level.

Article 22. Responsibilities of the Manager of National Road Usage

1. Organize the management and operation of national roads.

2. Implement directives and guidance from the People's Committee and competent state agencies at all levels in managing and operating national roads to ensure traffic safety, safety of works, and prevention of traffic accidents; report difficulties and obstacles in managing and operating national roads to the People's Committee at the commune level.

3. Detect and prevent organizations and individuals from damaging works on national roads, encroaching upon road safety zones, and committing prohibited acts.

Article 23. Transitional Provisions

For special works on national highways that have been put into operation, the Management and Operation Procedures must be established and issued in accordance with Clause 2 of Article 5 of this Circular, no later than June 1, 2015. Until such specific procedures are issued, the management and operation of special works on national highways shall be carried out in accordance with the provisions of Chapter III of this Circular.

Article 24. Effective Date

This Circular takes effect from October 1, 2014.

Article 25. Implementation organization

The Heads of the Ministry's Office, the Inspector General of the Ministry, the Heads of Departments, the Director of the Vietnam Highway Administration, the Heads of agencies and units under the Ministry of Transport, the Directors of Provincial and Central City Departments of Transport, and related organizations and individuals are responsible for implementing this Circular./.