Read more on this topic in Vietnamese.
Authorities in Vietnam’s capital, Hanoi, are planning to ramp up traffic fines to try to reduce the number of accidents and ease congestion on the city’s notoriously clogged streets, state media reported.
The city’s People’s Committee has submitted a draft resolution for public consultation, aiming to increase fines by 1.5 to 2 times by July.
Higher penalties would be imposed for 107 violations including ignoring signs, speeding and drunk driving.
The national government introduced tough new traffic rules on Jan. 1 but many motorists have criticized the regulations set out in Decree 168 saying the fines are too high considering the average salary.
But the complaints have angered authorities who said they could spark social unrest.
A week ago, police fined a truck driver the equivalent of US$200 for Facebook posts criticizing the new rules, including saying the fines could cost drivers half a year’s salary, which was “nothing short of strangling people.”
Hanoi police also charged a resident for Facebook posts critical of the new traffic rules, including one saying “traffic police are out in force, blocking the streets.” They forced Dang Hoang Ha to delete the comments saying they contained “misleading information,” which aimed to “provoke protests and social unrest.”
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In spite of the new country-wide rules, Hanoi’s draft resolution argues that even higher fines are necessary because drivers still have a limited understanding of traffic laws and often repeat violations such as ignoring road signs or not wearing motorcycle helmets.
However, one regular visitor to Hanoi, who didn’t wish to be named due to the sensitivity of the issue, told Radio Free Asia that traffic had improved noticeably since the new rules came into force, with cars pausing to let pedestrians use crossings and motorists obeying traffic signals.
Translated by RFA Vietnamese. Edited by Mike Firn.