Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc has issued a notice calling for public order and traffic safety during the country’s upcoming holidays this month.— Photo baogiaothong.vn

HÀ NỘI — Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc has issued a notice calling for public order and traffic safety during the country’s upcoming holidays this month.

The document was sent to the ministries of public securities, defence, transport, information and communications, the National Committee for Traffic Safety, Vietnam Television, the Vietnam News Agency and provincial and citywide people’s committees.

The country will have long holidays on the Death Anniversary of the Hùng Kings, which will fall on April 16 and last for three days and the national Reunification Day and Labour Day, which will start on April 30 and last four days.

Under the document, PM Phúc asked the ministries and agencies to provide information on traffic safety and accident prevention to media outlets, and encourage residents to travel by public vehicles, especially on highways.

The ministries should more closely manage coaches, terminals, stations and airports to reduce traffic jams, delays and illegal price hikes for tickets, the PM said.

Increased inspection and patrols should be organised to strictly punish traffic regulation violators, especially those who directly cause traffic accidents.

Traffic infrastructure will be checked, including signals, warning signs and warning equipment in places that have a high risk for traffic accidents. Tollbooths will assign more workers to collect fees in an effort to reduce traffic jams.

Commune-level people’s committees must take the responsibility of managing wharfs and tourism sites in the local areas, he said.

He added that the ministries should supply their traffic safety hotlines to media to receive reports on the issue during the festivals.

Stations add buses, hike fares

Inter-provincial bus operators in HCM City have announced a 30 - 40 per cent increase in fares during the upcoming Reunification and Labour Day (April 30 and May 1) holidays.

The number of passengers is expected to rise by up to half – to around 170,000 -- in comparison with normal days, especially with the collapse of the Ghềnh Bridge, which has hit rail services.

“Miền Đông (Eastern) Bus station will operate an additional 7,000 buses during the holidays,” the Sài Gòn Giải Phóng (Liberated Sài Gòn) newspaper quoted Thượng Thanh Hải, its deputy director, as saying.

“Ticket prices on short routes to Bình Dương, Bình Phước, and Đồng Nai provinces will increase by 30 per cent and on longer routes to central and Central Highlands provinces, by 40 per cent.

Another 200,000 people will travel from the Miền Tây (Western) Bus Station to the Mekong Delta provinces paying up to 40 per cent more.

In Hà Nội, major bus stations like Mỹ Đình and Gia Lâm will operate around 20 – 30 per cent more buses.

Meanwhile, the Việt Nam Railway Joint Stock Company is trying to get back on track after being hit by the collapse of the Ghềnh Bridge between HCM City and Biên Hòa.

Thirty seven coaches will be transported by road to Biên Hòa, Trảng Bom and Hố Nai railway stations in Đồng Nai in preparation for the upcoming holidays.

The railways will improve infrastructure and lay more tracks at these three stations to improve their capacity.

An extra 57 return trips will be operated between Sài Gòn and Sóng Thần stations in Bình Dương Province, with passengers transported by bus between Sóng Thần and Biên Hòa.

At HCM City’s Bình Khánh and Cát Lái ferry stations, the services will be doubled to serve people travelling to Cần Giờ District and Đồng Nai Province during the holidays. — VNS