HÀ NỘI - The ASEAN Traffic Police Forum launched yesterday in Hà Nội is essential for ensuring traffic order and safety and creating favourable conditions for cross-border freight transportation among members states of the Association of Southeast Asian countries, said Senior Lieutenant General Tô Lâm, Vietnamese Minister of Public Security.

Speaking at the opening session, Lâm said sharing information and helping each other in ensuring traffic safety would positively contribute to the cause of nation building and protection as well as peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region.

ASEAN countries share similarities in traffic safety challeneges, with a high rate of traffic accident deaths, injuries and congestion, Lâm said.

Member countries of the Greater Mekong Sub-region have signed memoranda of understanding on cooperation in transport, he said, but these focused on facilitating cross-border transportation and controlling the transfer of goods and vehicles. None of the documents deals in cooperation to ensure traffic safety and order.

Although much progress has been made on traffic safety over the past few years, Việt Nam remains one of countries with the largest number of traffic accidents and congestion, he said.

The Vietnamese Ministry of Public Security hopes to learn from other countries in implementing measures to guarantee traffic safety and order and improving State management on the field.

Major General Trần Sơn Hà, head of the Traffic Police Department under the Ministry of Public Security, said traffic safety and order issues in the ASEAN region play an important role in building a complete and sustainable ASEAN community.

Transportation helps promote socio-economic development among countries in the region, he added.

At the forum, held at Việt Nam’s initiative, regional police forces introduced organisational models, traffic laws and situations in their countries.

The first ASEAN Traffic Police Forum brought together 150 delegates from ASEAN members and representatives from embassies of regional countries and ASEAN Police Chiefs (ASEANPOL).

During the three-day forum, which will last until Wednesday, participants will hold discussions on statistics of traffic accidents, investigations of traffic accidents, and on enforcement of traffic law.

They will also discuss the training, testing and licensing of drivers, as well as an information sharing mechanism to support each other in ensuring regional traffic order and safety.

Participants are scheduled to make a fact-finding trip on the Hà Nội-Hải Phòng Expressway. -- VNS