A policeman checks the alcohol concentration of a motorbike driver in the northern province of Lạng Sơn. — VNA/VNS Photo Quang Quyết

HÀ NỘI — Traffic accidents decreased sharply in the first six months compared to the same period last year, with the number of accidents caused by drunk drivers also down considerably.

The information was revealed in an online conference held on Tuesday by the National Traffic Safety Committee (NTSC) to review traffic order and safety in the first six months this year and key tasks for the next three months.

The conference was chaired by Minister of Transport Nguyễn Văn Thắng.

Khuất Việt Hùng, deputy chairman of the NTSC, said that traffic congestion at toll booths was mostly overcome thanks to automated toll collection nationwide.

Vehicles’ overloading was essentially controlled.

In the first six months this year, there were 4,970 traffic accidents nationwide, killing 2,865 people and injuring 3,471 more.

The number decreased by 762 accidents, 484 deaths and 214 injuries compared with the same period last year.

Especially, Thái Nguyên and Đà Nẵng reduced traffic deaths by over 60 per cent.

The Ministry of Transport (MoT) has directed the Việt Nam Register to implement solutions to restore work at registration centres, easing congestion there recently.

However, Hùng said, the country still saw limitations and shortcomings related to traffic safety.

Violations on road and rail traffic safety corridors have not been handled. Illegal racing still occurs in some provinces and cities.

Minors driving motorbikes without licenses caused a number of serious traffic accidents, sparking public concerns.

Hùng said that some individuals’ and businesses’ awareness was still weak.

Coordination among agencies is sometimes not tight as some of them consider traffic safety the responsibility of the transport sector and the police.

Specifying the goal this year was to reduce traffic accidents and casualties by 5-10 per cent compared to last year, Hùng emphasised that in the next three months, the NTSC’s inspection teams would check localities with a high number of traffic accidents.

The MoT will complete the system of legal documents on traffic safety, especially the Law on Road Traffic, and review spots with risks of accidents.

The Ministry of Public Security will focus on handling violations related to alcohol, as well as those related to overloaded vehicles, and handle people who deliver motorbikes and cars for teenagers to drive.

Capital city’s situation

Traffic congestion in Hà Nội was inevitable because transport infrastructure cannot keep up with the population and personal vehicle increase, said deputy director of the Hà Nội Department of Transport Trần Hữu Bảo.

Bảo said Hà Nội had over 8.4 million people and about 7.9 million vehicles of all kinds including about 1.1 million cars, 6.6 million motorbikes and 0.2 million electric motorbikes, not to mention about 1.2 million vehicles from other provinces and cities coming into the city every day.

“Road transport infrastructure development has not kept pace with the increase of personal vehicles. Few people use public transport leading to overcrowding," he said.

In the coming time, Hà Nội will invest in transport infrastructure, focusing on ring roads, giving priority to developing Highways No 1 and No 6 and bridges to increase traffic connectivity.

The city will also develop its public transport system, improve the bus network, and continue to introduce electric buses, as well as increase the number of bus stops so that 80 per cent of people can access the service within reasonable walking distance of less than 500m. — VNS

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