Inland waterway ports and wharves that operate without a licence or use an expired licence will be suspended, according to the HCM City Department of Transport.—  Photo baogiaothong.vn

HCM CITY — Inland waterway ports and wharves that operate without a licence or use an expired licence will be suspended, according to the HCM City Department of Transport.

A multi-sector inspection team discovered many inland waterway ports operating without a licence, and river wharves with expired licences on the canals of Bà Cua, Ông Nhiêu and Trau Trảu, and the Tắc and Đồng Nai rivers.

These ports are causing unsafe waterway traffic problems, the inspection team said.

In order to ensure waterway traffic, the city’s Department of Transport has asked District 9’s People’s Committee to direct its units to monitor and strictly handle illegal operations of wharves and ports, especially those operating on corridors that protect rivers and canals.

The HCM City Police will also work with agencies to inspect the stations and strictly handle violators.

The port authority of Zone 3 Inland Waterway Department, the HCM City Inland Waterway Port Authority (HCMC IWPA) and the city’s Department of Transport Inspectorate will work together to inspect and handle illegal operations.

Based on inspections, the port authority of Zone 3 Inland Waterway Department and the HCMC IWPA will petition the city’s Department of Transport to suspend operation of ports and wharves without a licence or those using an expired licence.

Violations were discovered at a wharf located 300 metres from the junction of Ông Nhiêu and Trau Trảu canals in Tăng Nhơn Phú B Ward and a wharf selling building materials located 600m away from Trau Trảu Bridge in Trường Thạnh Ward.

They were also discovered at an illegal construction-material trading wharf on the Tắc River located 500m downstream from Trường Phước Bridge in Phước Long Ward; and at a 300m-long wharf for breeding fish on floating rafts on the Đồng Nai River in Long Bình Ward.

Eight inland waterway ports have expired licences in District 9, including Tăng Long and Năm Minh ports on Trau Trảu Cannal, Nhật Phong and T.C. T2 ports on Gò Công Canal; T.C.T1, Phụng Hiệp and Hồ Gia ports on Bà Cua Canal in Phú Hữu Ward; and another in Long Bình Ward.  — VNS