Resolution No. 88/NQ-CP On Strengthening the Implementation of Key Measures to Ensure Traffic Safety and Order

RESOLUTION

On strengthening the implementation of key measures

đảm bảo trật tự an toàn giao thông

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After four years of implementing Resolution No. 32/2007/NQ-CP dated June 29, 2007, and Resolution No. 16/2008/NQ-CP dated July 31, 2008 of the Government, the situation regarding traffic order and safety has shown positive changes. Particularly noteworthy is the successful enforcement of the mandatory helmet-wearing regulation for motorcycle and motorbike riders nationwide, along with the effective implementation of other measures stipulated in the Resolutions, which have helped to curb and reduce traffic accidents for three consecutive years from 2008 to 2010. Specifically, compared to 2007, in 2010 there were 791 fewer traffic accidents (a decrease of 5.4%), 1,744 fewer fatalities (a decrease of 13.2%), and 407 fewer injuries (a decrease of 6%).

However, the results of curbing and reducing traffic accidents are not sustainable, the number of deaths and injuries caused by traffic accidents remains high and still harbors potential risks of increase, and serious traffic accidents on roads, railways, and inland waterways continue to occur.

These issues persist due to laxity in state management, inadequate, continuous, and strong guidance and implementation of measures to ensure traffic order and safety; weak self-discipline in adhering to traffic laws among a portion of traffic participants. Violations such as driving in the wrong lane, exceeding speed limits, operating vehicles under the influence of alcohol, riding motorcycles without helmets, students and young people driving motorcycles without licenses, encroaching on road safety zones, and illegally opening crossings... still frequently occur. These violations are the main causes of traffic accidents and pose a risk of increasing their frequency.

To further effectively implement the tasks of curbing and reducing traffic accidents and traffic congestion in the future, the Government requests that ministries, sectors, and local authorities at all levels continue to intensify the implementation of measures stipulated in Resolution No. 32/2007/NQ-CP and Resolution No. 16/2008/NQ-CP, while also implementing the following key comprehensive measures:

I. ENSURING ROAD TRAFFIC ORDER AND SAFETY

1. Strengthening prevention and control of drivers of motor vehicles using alcohol

a) The National Traffic Safety Committee shall take the lead in coordinating with the Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Information and Communications, Vietnam Television, Voice of Vietnam Radio, and other information agencies and media to strongly and continuously publicize the harmful effects of excessive alcohol consumption on health and social order; the risk of accidents caused by driving under the influence of alcohol; the consequences of traffic accidents caused by alcohol; and legal provisions for punishing drivers who drink alcohol.

Incorporate publicity activities into grassroots organization operations. Simultaneously launch strong campaigns during the annual Traffic Safety Month and maintain regular publicity activities. Actively participate in the "Preventing and Combating Drunk Driving" program within the United Nations' Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020.

b) Heads of state agencies, organizations, and enterprises shall require officials, civil servants, employees, members, and staff to serve as role models by not drinking alcohol before driving; simultaneously, issue regulations prohibiting alcohol consumption during working hours and lunch breaks; strictly discipline violators regardless of whether they are officials or staff.

c) The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism shall take the lead in coordinating with the Ministry of Information and Communications to formulate regulations governing alcohol advertising on various media platforms, requiring advertisements for alcohol to include warnings about the health hazards of excessive alcohol consumption and the risk of accidents when operating vehicles. Issue by the end of 2011.

d) The Ministry of Science and Technology shall take the lead in reviewing and perfecting legal and technical regulations related to measuring devices for breath alcohol testing. Complete by the end of 2011.

đ) The Ministry of Public Security shall mobilize forces, enhance equipment for breath alcohol testing, organize concentrated inspection and punishment campaigns targeting drivers using alcohol (especially in areas with many drivers drinking alcohol).

e) The Ministry of Health shall take the lead in coordinating with the Ministry of Public Security to formulate regulations on blood alcohol testing for drivers of motor vehicles. Issue by the end of 2011.

g) The Ministry of Industry and Trade shall issue regulations requiring: Enterprises and production units producing and importing alcohol to include warnings on product packaging about the dangers of excessive alcohol consumption; service establishments, bus stations, and rest stops not to sell alcohol to drivers.

2. Maintaining and continuing to strengthen helmet wearing; preventing students and young people from driving motorcycles and motorbikes without proper age and license.

a) Media agencies and organizations: Intensify publicity on wearing helmets when traveling by motorcycle or motorbike (especially in rural and remote areas); educate and encourage adults to voluntarily wear helmets for children when traveling, ensuring quality helmets are worn correctly; educate teenagers and young people not to drive motorcycles or motorbikes without proper age and license.

b) The Ministry of Public Security shall mobilize traffic police, mobile police, and village police to strengthen cooperation in inspecting and strictly penalizing drivers and passengers of motorcycles and motorbikes who are not wearing helmets, carrying children not wearing helmets; and students and young people driving motorcycles or motorbikes without proper age and license.

c) The Ministry of Industry and Trade shall take urgent measures to prevent the production, circulation, and sale of helmets with designs similar to safety helmets and safety helmets that do not meet technical standards and quality requirements; cooperate with local authorities to strengthen inspections and strictly handle organizations and individuals violating the regulations.

3. Strengthen traffic safety education in schools

a) The Ministry of Education and Training:

- Continue to direct the improvement of the quality of traffic safety knowledge education in schools; implement a teaching program on traffic safety in teacher training institutions to train teachers who have knowledge and effective methods of traffic safety education.

- Develop plans to incorporate legal education on ensuring traffic order and safety into the regular curriculum at all levels of education; promote and guide the implementation of traffic culture criteria in each level of education starting from the 2012 academic year.

b) The Ministry of Education and Training and the People's Committees of provinces and centrally governed cities shall direct schools to cooperate with Parent-Teacher Associations to regularly remind and educate students to voluntarily comply with traffic rules, wear helmets when riding motorcycles and motorbikes, refrain from driving motorcycles and motorbikes before reaching the legal age and without a driver's license; principals must firmly impose disciplinary actions against students and pupils who drive motorcycles and motorbikes without reaching the legal age and without a driver's license.

4. Strengthen rescue, emergency response, and first aid for traffic accidents

a) Ministry of Health:

- Urgently complete regulations regarding traffic accident emergency stations along national highways; develop the 115 emergency system to meet standards, consolidate existing 115 emergency centers in provinces and cities; enhance the professional skills of medical staff in emergency care, improve their capacity to respond to traffic accident emergencies; train initial first aid skills for traffic injuries due to traffic accidents for traffic police, traffic inspectors, and volunteers.

- Take the lead and coordinate with the Ministry of Transport and relevant ministries, sectors, and localities to develop a proposal for organizing emergency response for traffic accidents on expressways, to be submitted to the Prime Minister in the second quarter of 2012.

b) The Ministry of Transport shall promptly establish and put into operation a system of traffic rescue and emergency centers.

5. Strengthen the promotion of traffic culture

a) The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism shall take the lead and coordinate with the National Traffic Safety Committee and related agencies to build and announce criteria for "traffic culture," to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2011.

b) Propose the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee to direct the inclusion of traffic culture into the content of the campaign "All people unite to build a civilized lifestyle in residential areas" for propaganda and mobilization of the people to implement it.

c) The Ministry of Information and Communications and central and local mass media agencies shall intensify propaganda and mobilize the people to practice a "civilized traffic lifestyle," voluntarily comply with laws on ensuring traffic order and safety, and behave civilly when participating in traffic to create a safe and friendly traffic environment.

d) Central and local newspapers, radio, and television stations must have special sections for promoting and disseminating laws on ensuring traffic order and safety and traffic culture.

6. Strengthen management of road transport activities using automobiles

a) The Ministry of Transport: Strengthen management measures right at bus terminals, resolutely not allowing buses to depart if they do not meet relevant regulations concerning vehicles and vehicle drivers (especially for buses where the driver has consumed alcohol); direct provincial transportation departments to strengthen supervision of transport enterprises and cooperatives to install vehicle tracking devices according to regulations.

b) Provincial and municipal people's committees under the central government shall accelerate the progress of planning bus terminals, parking lots, and rest stops on roads. To be completed in the fourth quarter of 2013.

c) The Ministry of Public Security shall direct police forces to cooperate with traffic inspectors to strengthen inspections and strictly handle cases of automobile drivers transporting passengers and cargo trucks violating speed limits, overloading, exceeding the number of passengers allowed, driving in the wrong lanes, violating driving time regulations, picking up and dropping off passengers in unauthorized locations, and driving under the influence of alcohol.

7. Strengthen traffic organization work and improve the safety conditions of traffic infrastructure

a) The Ministry of Transport shall direct provincial transportation departments and subordinate units: Review and reasonably adjust the road traffic sign system (especially signs related to vehicle speed limits on roads); implement the installation of median strips to separate two-wheeled motorcycle and non-motorized vehicle streams from automobile streams on roads with sufficient conditions and high traffic density; when developing projects to upgrade, renovate, or construct new roads and urban bypasses, design dedicated lanes for motorcycles and motorbikes.

b) The Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Public Security shall direct competent agencies (road management agencies, traffic inspectors, police forces) to strengthen cooperation in traffic organization and control; resolutely not allow prohibited entities from participating in highway traffic according to the Road Traffic Law (pedestrians, non-motorized vehicles, motorcycles, tractors, specialized motor vehicles with a design speed below 70 km/h) to travel on highways.

c) The Ministry of Transport and the People's Committees of provinces and centrally governed cities shall intensify the implementation of the Plan to Re-establish Road Traffic Safety Corridors according to Decision No. 1856/QD-TTg dated December 27, 2007 of the Prime Minister; direct road management agencies to regularly review to detect and promptly address "black spots" of traffic accidents on roads, resolutely not allowing illegal intersections onto roads.

d) The People's Committee of Hanoi City and Ho Chi Minh City shall continue to implement measures to gradually address traffic congestion as stipulated in Resolution No. 16/2008/NQ-CP. Accelerate the progress of public passenger transport projects with large capacity; construct overpasses and pedestrian tunnels in the two cities; implement measures to restrict motorcycles, motorbikes, and cars from circulating on certain streets at specific hours suitable for the conditions of each area within the city.

đ) The Ministry of Transport shall take the lead in coordinating with relevant ministries, sectors, and People's Committees of related provinces and cities to develop a proposal to limit and phase out motorcycles and motorbikes from participating in traffic in major urban areas, to be submitted to the Prime Minister in the fourth quarter of 2012.

8. Strengthen inspection, patrol, supervision, and handling of violations

a) The Ministry of Public Security shall direct police forces to strengthen patrols, supervision, and strict handling of violations of laws on traffic safety and order; accelerate the discovery and handling of violations using technical investigative methods; promptly implement projects under the Program "Strengthening and Modernizing Traffic Safety and Order Patrols and Violation Handling" pursuant to Decision No. 617/QĐ-TTg dated May 15, 2009 of the Prime Minister, focusing on the monitoring and violation handling system on key national highways to be applied from 2012. Take the lead in coordinating with relevant ministries and sectors to study and propose mechanisms to mobilize funds for investment projects ensuring traffic safety and order, encouraging various economic sectors to participate in building road traffic safety monitoring systems using images, to be submitted to the Prime Minister in the first quarter of 2012.

b) The Ministry of Public Security shall take the lead in drafting a Government Decree on preventive and curative measures against resistance to law enforcement officers in traffic safety and order assurance work. To be submitted to the Government in the fourth quarter of 2012.

c) The Ministry of Public Security shall coordinate with the Ministry of Finance to establish a timeline for implementing fines through bank accounts, the time frame for car owners to open bank accounts, and proposals to streamline administrative violation handling procedures in the field of traffic safety and order assurance. To be issued in the first quarter of 2012.

d) The Ministry of Transport shall take the lead in coordinating with the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Home Affairs, and the Ministry of Planning and Investment to accelerate the implementation of the Project "Increasing Personnel and Equipment for Traffic Inspection Forces" pursuant to Decision No. 321/QĐ-TTg dated March 5, 2010 of the Prime Minister; direct traffic inspection forces to strengthen inspections, checks, and administrative violation handling within their authority.

đ) The Ministry of Transport shall take the lead in coordinating with the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of Justice, and the People's Committees of centrally governed cities and provinces to propose supplementing localities eligible for pilot application of administrative violation fines for certain violations as prescribed in Section 7 Chapter II of Decree No. 34/2010/NĐ-CP dated April 2, 2010 of the Government on administrative violation penalties in the field of road traffic. To be submitted to the Government in the second quarter of 2012.

9. Strengthen management of driver training and testing

a) The Ministry of Transport shall intensify measures to further improve the quality of driver training and testing; continue to perfect training manuals and examination procedures; strengthen supervision of driver examinations.

b) The Ministry of Transport shall implement the renewal of driving licenses; build a unified national database on driving licenses to serve management, retrieval, tracking of violations by drivers, and information exchange with competent authorities.

c) The Ministry of Health shall take the lead in reviewing health standards for drivers; strengthen supervision of medical facilities in conducting health examinations for drivers.

II. ENSURING ROAD SAFETY AND ORDER

1. The People's Committees of centrally governed cities and provinces with railway lines passing through shall proactively coordinate with Vietnam Railways:

a) Continue to intensify the implementation of the Plan to Re-establish Railway Traffic Safety Zones pursuant to Decision No. 1856/QĐ-TTg dated December 27, 2007 of the Prime Minister;

b) Firmly prevent the emergence of unauthorized level crossings, actively plan and set timelines to eliminate unauthorized level crossings. During the waiting period for elimination, the People's Committees of provinces and cities must organize personnel to guard high-risk level crossing locations.

2. The Ministry of Transport:

a) Direct the General Department of Highways to take the lead in coordinating with Vietnam Railways and relevant agencies to review positions of unmanned level crossings (automatic warning level crossings, signposted level crossings) to install appropriate signs. If deemed unsafe for any type of vehicle, signs prohibiting that type of vehicle must be installed. To be completed in the first quarter of 2012.

b) Direct railway management agencies: Strengthen supervision of the implementation of railway traffic safety procedures and regulations by level crossing guards, shared road-railway bridge staff; regularly inspect the operation of safety equipment at level crossings and shared bridges; guide railway traffic safety rules for personnel assigned by localities to guard level crossings.

3. The Ministry of Public Security shall develop a Proposal to Enhance the Capacity of Railway Traffic Police Forces to Ensure Railway Traffic Safety and Order, to be submitted to the Prime Minister in the second quarter of 2012.

III. ENSURING WATERWAY SAFETY AND ORDER

1. Strengthen management of tourist transportation activities

a) Ministry of Transport:

- Take the lead in coordinating with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to review and issue regulations on ensuring waterway safety and order in tourist transportation activities by inland waterways. To be issued in the first quarter of 2012.

- Strengthening inspection and supervision of compliance with laws and regulations on inland waterway traffic safety by relevant organizations and individuals; suspending operations of ports, wharfs, and inland waterway vessels that do not meet full safety and evacuation requirements.

- Reviewing and stipulating regulations on passenger transport by high-speed passenger ships on inland waterways, coastal routes, island routes, and inter-island routes. To be issued in the first quarter of 2012.

b) Provincial People's Committees under the Central Government shall direct inspections to detect and strictly handle: Tourist passenger-carrying vessels that do not ensure safety; inland waterway ports and wharfs allowing tourist passenger-carrying vessels to enter and disembark passengers contrary to regulations.

2. Enhancing management of river-crossing passenger transport; promoting the wearing of life jackets by ferry passengers.

a) The Ministry of Transport, Provincial People's Committees under the Central Government shall direct competent agencies: To strengthen management of river-crossing passenger transport; decisively suspend operations of illegal ferry wharfs and river-crossing vessels that do not meet safety standards, fail to register and inspect, lack sufficient lifesaving equipment, or have operators without valid certificates; continue to promote voluntary wearing of life jackets and use of lifesaving equipment by ferry passengers.

b) The Chairman of the Commune People's Committee shall bear responsibility if ferry accidents occur within their jurisdiction due to ferries or facilities lacking safety conditions, carrying more people than allowed, or lacking sufficient life jackets.

c) The Ministry of Transport shall issue regulations on wearing life jackets and using lifesaving equipment for ferry passengers. To be issued in the first quarter of 2012.

d) The Ministry of Education and Training shall direct schools (with students traveling by ferry): To develop plans to mobilize parents, organizations, and individuals to equip students with sufficient life jackets and lifesaving equipment when traveling by ferry; establish regulations requiring students who regularly travel by ferry to wear life jackets or use lifesaving equipment; strictly handle students who do not comply voluntarily. To be implemented from the 2012 academic year.

đ) The Ministry of Public Security shall direct maritime police forces to cooperate with related functional forces to enhance patrols, inspections, and strict handling of violations of laws concerning ensuring order and safety in inland waterway traffic; accelerate implementation of the Project "Strengthening Personnel, Material, Technical Equipment, Training, and Policies for Maritime Traffic Police Forces at the Ministry of Public Security and 18 Southern Provinces and Cities" according to Decision No. 1799/QĐ-TTg dated December 10, 2008 of the Prime Minister; continue to develop proposals to strengthen other regions and submit to the Prime Minister in the second quarter of 2012.

3. Enhancing traffic regulation and control to ensure traffic flow and prevent drifting on inland waterways.

The Ministry of Transport shall direct inland waterway management units to strengthen traffic regulation and control to ensure traffic flow at locations with high traffic density, shallow channels, construction sites affecting inland waterway traffic safety; combine traffic regulation and control with anti-drifting measures at key bridge positions during the rainy season.

4. Enhancing training for issuance of professional certificates and registration, inspection of inland waterway vessels.

Provincial People's Committees under the Central Government shall continue to strengthen training for issuance of professional certificates for seafarers and vessel drivers, and organize registration and inspection of inland waterway vessels in accordance with regulations.

IV. ENSURING ORDER AND SAFETY IN CIVIL AVIATION

The Ministry of Transport:

1. Strengthening inspection and supervision of compliance with laws and regulations on civil aviation safety at airports, air cargo terminals, and service providers; enhancing publicity and dissemination of laws to raise awareness and responsibility regarding civil aviation security and safety in society.

2. Developing the National Safety Program in the field of civil aviation and the Runway Safety Program. To be issued in the fourth quarter of 2012.

3. Improving flight procedures to ensure effective network operation and avoid congestion; enhancing passenger and cargo release capacity at airports.

V. ENSURING ORDER AND SAFETY IN MARITIME TRANSPORT

The Ministry of Transport:

1. Strengthening inspection and supervision of ship and port activities; promptly detecting and strictly handling violations of maritime safety, security, and environmental protection regulations.

2. Promoting measures to further improve the quality of maritime crew training and certification for technical safety and security of ships.

3. Directing specialized maritime administrative agencies to cooperate with related agencies and local authorities to dismantle illegal sand mining, bottom fishing, aquaculture vessels, and inland waterway vessels encroaching on shipping lanes.

4. Concentrating investment in dredging shipping lanes in key national port areas and anchorage zones for typhoon shelters.

VI. STRENGTHENING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF STATE MANAGEMENT

1. Ministries, sectors, and local authorities at all levels shall strengthen state management in the field of ensuring traffic order and safety; clearly assign specific tasks and define individual responsibilities; each sector and locality shall develop plans to implement measures for ensuring traffic order and safety with specific targets during each period, in accordance with their scope of responsibility and administrative areas; establish procedures for assessing the responsibility of organizations and individuals related to the work of ensuring traffic order and safety in competitions, awards, and disciplinary actions at all levels; intensify efforts to combat corruption in fields such as driver training and licensing examinations; vehicle registration and inspection; traffic supervision and violation handling.

2. The Ministry of Home Affairs shall guide provincial People's Committees under the direct jurisdiction of the Central Government to improve the Traffic Safety Committee in accordance with Decision No. 35/2010/QĐ-TTg dated April 8, 2010, issued by the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister shall continue to improve the National Traffic Safety Committee and designate a Deputy Prime Minister to serve as its Chairman.

3. The Ministry of Home Affairs shall cooperate with the National Traffic Safety Committee to train specialized human resources for traffic order and safety work in central agencies and localities.

VII. IMPLEMENTATION

1. The Government requests ministries, sectors, government agencies, and provincial People's Committees under the direct jurisdiction of the Central Government to review the implementation of traffic order and safety plans and programs that have been and are being carried out over the past period, and to develop specific action plans for their respective ministries, sectors, and localities to implement this Resolution, to be promulgated in the fourth quarter of 2011.

2. Provincial People's Committees under the direct jurisdiction of the Central Government shall proactively organize implementation and closely coordinate with ministries and sectors in implementing traffic order and safety measures and this Resolution.

3. It is requested that Party committees at all levels, the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee, the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor, the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union, the Vietnam Women's Union, and other mass organizations actively participate in traffic order and safety work, mobilize the people, trade union members, and association members to strictly comply with laws on traffic order and safety, and leverage the strength of the entire political system to curb and reduce traffic accidents.

4. The National Traffic Safety Committee shall take the lead and coordinate with the Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Public Security, and relevant ministries and sectors in developing the content and action plan for "Traffic Safety Year" to report to the Prime Minister in the fourth quarter of 2011 for implementation in 2012.

5. The National Traffic Safety Committee shall inspect and urge the implementation of measures to ensure traffic order and safety as stipulated in Government Resolutions, organize regular meetings with ministries, sectors, and localities by region to assess and evaluate the implementation of the Resolution in each sector and locality, and report the results achieved to the Prime Minister.