Directive No. 454/TTg on the organization and implementation of the Government Decree on ensuring railway and inland waterway traffic order and safety

DIRECTIVE

REGARDING THE ORGANIZATION AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE GOVERNMENT DECREE ON ENSURING ORDER AND SAFETY IN RAILWAY AND INLAND WATERWAY TRANSPORT

In recent times, many efforts have been made by various sectors and localities throughout the country to effectively organize and implement Decree No. 36/CP dated May 29, 1995 of the Government on ensuring traffic order and safety on roads and urban areas. Generally, the situation regarding traffic order and safety on roads and in urban areas has shown positive changes, which have received the support and agreement of all social strata across the country.

Meanwhile, the situation concerning traffic order and safety on railways and inland waterways remains complex. Many accidents on inland waterways have caused significant losses in terms of human lives and property. Violations of regulations on traffic order and safety on inland waterways, such as unauthorized construction encroaching upon riverbeds, unregistered and uninspected transport vessels not meeting standards, drivers without appropriate qualifications, are the main causes of inland waterway accidents. On railway lines, violations of train operation safety order have not decreased, with numerous instances of unauthorized encroachment on railway protection zones, illegal crossings, non-compliance with operational procedures, children throwing rocks at moving trains, grazing livestock on railway tracks, and playing on railway tracks, all posing serious threats to train safety.

To quickly restore traffic order and safety on railways and inland waterways, the Government has issued Decrees No. 39/CP and No. 40/CP dated July 5, 1996 on ensuring traffic order and safety on railways and inland waterways. To effectively implement these Government Decrees, the Prime Minister instructs ministries, sectors, and People's Committees of provinces and centrally-administered cities to immediately carry out the following tasks:

1. Continue to strictly direct the implementation of Decree No. 36/CP dated May 29, 1995 on ensuring traffic order and safety on roads and in urban areas, recognizing this as a long-term and ongoing task that requires persistent and proactive measures to achieve truly stable and solid results. At the same time, lessons should be drawn from the implementation of Decree No. 36/CP to effectively organize the implementation of decrees on traffic order and safety on railways and inland waterways right from the start.

2. The Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Home Affairs shall coordinate with provincial and centrally-administered city People's Committees and related sectors to identify critical areas with complex situations regarding traffic order and safety on railways and inland waterways, and focus their directives to bring about positive changes in those areas.

Adequate forces must be regularly deployed to maintain traffic order on critical routes and areas.

3. Provincial and centrally-administered city People's Committees, the Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Fisheries, and sectors with inland waterway transport vessels must complete a comprehensive inspection and inventory of specialized vessels, including registration, inspection, and driver qualifications, by the end of 1996, ensuring that all vessels operating on public transportation routes meet safety requirements for both property and people.

4. Provincial and centrally-administered city People's Committees must organize the clearance of railway and inland waterway protection zones according to current regulations and apply effective measures to prevent re-encroachment.

Provincial and centrally-administered city People's Committees shall assign responsibility to district (urban district) and commune (urban ward) People's Committees where railways and inland waterways pass through for the primary protection of railway and inland waterway infrastructure within their territorial jurisdiction, organizing the participation of public security forces, mass organizations, schools, community groups, and households in protecting railway and inland waterway infrastructure.

5. The Ministry of Finance shall prepare cadres and conditions to establish points for collecting fines for administrative violations in the field of ensuring traffic order and safety on railways and inland waterways, suitable to the characteristics of each sector.

6. Sectors and local authorities involved in railway and inland waterway transportation activities must organize for cadres, workers, and staff in their sectors and agencies to fully understand the contents of the Government's decrees on ensuring traffic order and safety on railways and inland waterways, and effectively direct their implementation; monthly reviews and evaluations of results, drawing lessons, and supplementing appropriate measures to create positive changes in traffic order and safety nationwide should be conducted.

7. Information dissemination agencies, central and local press must widely publicize the basic provisions of regulations on ensuring traffic order and safety on railways and inland waterways through simple and memorable forms so that the entire population is aware and strictly adheres to them.