HÀ NỘI — Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc has sent a message to traffic agencies ordering them to ensure road safety during the three-day holiday from September 1-3 to celebrate National Day (September 2) and the nation’s new school year ceremony (September 5).

In message No 1038/CĐ-TTg, Phúc said more efforts were needed to improve the capacity of public transport services to meet an increasing demand for travel during the holidays, especially in major cities.

The National Committee for Traffic Safety and administrations across the country were told to instruct transport companies as well as drivers to obey traffic safety regulations.

Drivers needed to ensure passenger safety by driving more carefully on steep roads and through level crossings and water during storms and torrential rain, he added.

Local departments of transport were also asked to remind people of the importance of wearing helmets and obeying regulations to minimise accidents.

They had also been tasked to work with schools to launch “The action month for traffic safety – September”. Accordingly, schools would strengthen education on traffic-safety regulations for students, he said.

Traffic police would be assigned to prevent gridlock around schools on the day of the new school year ceremony, he said.

Chairpersons of municipal and provincial-level people’s committees would have to take full responsibility in the event of railway accidents, he added.

Hotlines to receive traffic complaints should be widely publicised, he said.

Reports on these nationwide efforts would be compiled by the National Committee for Traffic Safety before September 3 and submitted to the Prime Minister.

Statistics from the committee showed that 58 people died and 58 more were injured in traffic accidents nationwide during the three-day holiday to mark National Day last year. — VNS