HÀ NỘI — Traffic safety experts want to increase fine on motorbike drivers who illegally use expressways.

They proposed fining those who violate deliberately more than three times up to 20 times the current amount.

To make it practical, the State needs a data system on motorbikes nationwide, which would record the violations of motorbike drivers, they said.

The suggestion was made in the context of these violations occurring commonly.  

The Ministry of Public Security’s Traffic Police Department estimated more than 2,740 motorbike drivers have been deterred for driving on expressways in the past three years.

Although the number of violations reportedly decreased annually, the real number is likely much higher.

Colonel Phạm Văn Hoà, deputy head of the department’s Road Patrol Office said traffic infrastructure and transport organisation remained unreasonable, leading to low efficiency in discovering and deterring violations.

Hoà said there were more than 700 kilometres of expressways in 21 localities, but most were not equipped with cameras to tackle traffic violations.

When only a few cases among many violations were handled, the regulation was less effective, he said.

Trần Hữu Minh, deputy chief of the National Traffic Safety Committee said motorbike drivers were seen driving on expressways every day by traffic cameras. However, the number of fined violators was modest.

Minh said the use of technology in supervising and fining violators remained ineffective.

Data management on motorbikes faced difficulties as motorbike owners did not have to have their vehicles registered regularly. Thus, information on drivers, including their addresses, was not accurate, leading to the failure of sending fines to them.

Under Decree 46/2016 on administrative penalties in road traffic, those driving motorbikes on expressways with prohibition signs will be fined between VNĐ500,000-1 million (US$20.8-41). Those who cause traffic accidents will have their driving licences revoked for two months.

Experts said an increase of fines between five and 20 times higher than the current one was necessary. — VNS