Two foreigners pulled over for a paper check by traffic police in HCM City. Photo thanhnien.vn

HCM CITY — HCM City’s Police Department said it will launch a three-month campaign to deter foreigners from breaking traffic rules in the city.

During the campaign, which begins on August 16, traffic police will increase the number of patrols and impose penalties for foreign violators.

Before the beginning of the campaign, foreigners will be pulled over and given warnings for their violations.

The campaign will run until the end of October.

Lieutenant Colonel Nguyễn Văn Bình, head of the HCM City Police Department’s Road and Railway Traffic Police Unit, said the unit would choose police officers who were fluent in foreign languages to do the job.

Lieutenant Colonel Huỳnh Trung Phong, head of Road and Railway Traffic Police Unit said many foreigners drive in the city.

The campaign would help ensure traffic safety and social order in the city.

Phong said the common difficulty in handling traffic fines for foreign violators was the language barrier.

Some do not speak English or Vietnamese, while some refuse to co-operate with traffic police and speak only their native language, making it difficult for police to enforce the rules.

Many police hesitate to punish foreigners because of their limited ability to speak foreign languages.

The police have to work with the city’s Immigration Department and the Consulate to impose fines, which takes a lot of time.

In the meantime, foreigners can easily rent or buy motorbikes in Việt Nam. 

Từ Tiến Đạt, a lawyer from HCM City’s Bar Association, said Việt Nam’s laws state that foreigners must be above 18 years old and have a valid licence driving in order to drive a vehicle in the country.

Foreigners need to follow proper procedures to transfer their driving licences from their home country to a Vietnamese licence according to the Ministry of Transport’s regulations. 

They must submit an application to change a foreign license into Vietnamese driving licence, a translation of the foreign driving license into Vietnamese, a copy of their passport and the expiry date of their entry visa to Việt Nam.

Those from left-hand driving countries will be asked to take a theory test to get their driving licences changed in Việt Nam. — VNS