Over recent months, the drivers of many state-owned vehicles have violated the country’s traffic regulations.  These vehicles, with blue registration plates, include such priority vehicles as ambulances, fire-engines and police cars, but also cars which are used by government officials and employees.

Dealing with an unlicenced ambulance

Between 1 August and 15 September, police officers from the National Traffic Police Department of the Ministry of Public Security are working closely with the traffic police in Da Nang, and in the provinces of Thua Thien Hue and Quang Nam, to crack down on any such vehicles found violating the rules on National Highway 1A. 

Strict penalties are being imposed on such violations as intentionally installing priority traffic horns and lights without legal licences, exceeding the speed limits, and travelling in the wrong lanes.

The Deputy Head of the Traffic Police Division of the Da Nang Police Department, Senior Lieutenant Colonel Le Van Luc, said that since the start of this month his unit has detected and dealt with 7 state-owned vehicles for not having licences for the use of priority traffic horns and lights.  The cars were travelling on a section of the national highway which runs through Hoa Vang District.

There have also been reports of many state-owned cars being illegally equipped with lights and horns to allow them to gain access ahead of other road users, especially at intersections and during rush hours.  Road users usually let vehicles using such emergency devices pass, thinking they are ambulances, fire-engines or police cars.

Senior Lieutenant Colonel Luc asked district-level traffic police forces to regularly conduct patrols and checks to detect and deal with state-owned vehicles for violating any of the traffic rules.  Special attention will be paid to re-checking vehicles which might have been sold to others but their registration papers have not yet been changed.