Waterway safety during Tet holiday.

During the Lunar New Year holiday and the Spring Festival of the Year of the Horse 2026, the demand for inland waterway transport will increase significantly. Therefore, traffic safety measures need to be strengthened, especially on routes serving tourists and at river ferry terminals.

Traffic police and border guards inspect the operating conditions of passenger vehicles at the Cu Lao Cham wharf (Tan Hiep commune). Photo: CONG TU

Safety comes first.

The Da Nang Waterway Maintenance and Operation Service Center is responsible for managing the Cua Dai wharf, while the wharf at Cu Lao Cham is managed by the Tan Hiep Commune People's Committee. According to statistics, the list of vessels registered by businesses and cooperatives to operate between Cua Dai and Cu Lao Cham includes 4 wooden boats and 76 speedboats. Each time a vessel is put into operation, the center thoroughly checks whether the contract has been signed, whether the permits are complete according to regulations, and whether the passenger and cargo lists exceed the permitted carrying capacity. This data is then transferred to the Da Nang Inland Waterway Port Authority, border guards, etc.

Mr. Dang Huu Linh, Director of the Da Nang Waterway Maintenance and Operation Service Center, shared that during the Lunar New Year holiday and the Spring Festival of 2026, the unit will strengthen inspection and control, tighten discipline and order in managing wharves, parking lots, and inland waterway terminals within its assigned area, including Cua Dai Wharf. They will also promote awareness campaigns to improve the voluntary compliance with the law among boat operators and transport businesses. The Center will also closely coordinate with the Da Nang Maritime Port Authority, the Da Nang Inland Waterway Port Authority, and other functional forces to strengthen inspection and supervision to ensure the safety of people and vehicles operating at ports and inland waterway terminals.

Prioritizing safety, the Da Nang Inland Waterway Port Authority will tighten management, inspection, and enforcement to ensure compliance with operating conditions, standards, and crew staffing requirements. Mr. Ngo Van Tho, Director of the Da Nang Inland Waterway Port Authority, stated that the unit has instructed port officials to absolutely prohibit vessels from entering or leaving the port if they do not meet the conditions for participating in traffic and conducting transportation business.

“We will coordinate with the Motor Vehicle Registration Center to conduct surprise inspections of vehicles to ensure they maintain their technical safety status between inspection periods. We will also work with other units to inspect routes, waterways, and traffic regulation in construction areas and locations with complex traffic density in inland waterways,” said Mr. Ngo Van Tho.

Anticipating an increase in tourist traffic by waterway, the Da Nang Inland Waterway Authority has planned to coordinate and request the Da Nang Waterway Maintenance and Operation Service Center, the Bridge and Road Construction Joint Stock Company (managing and operating the Han River port), the Management Board of Son Tra Peninsula and Da Nang tourist beaches (CT15 inland waterway terminal), and Hung Cuong Tourism Investment Joint Stock Company (Da Den Hill inland waterway terminal) to inspect the safety conditions of vessels, piers, signaling, and security within the port and terminal areas. In addition, Hoi An Tay and Hoi An Dong wards are responsible for coordinating inspections of vessel safety conditions and compliance with legal regulations at the Thanh Ha pottery village tourist terminal (Hoi An Tay ward) and the Thanh Tam inland waterway tourist terminal (Hoi An Dong ward).

Strengthen inspections.

According to Nguyen Ha Nam , Director of the City's Department of Construction, the authorities have recently strengthened the management and operation of the inland waterway management system; implemented procedures to control the transportation of tourists at inland waterway ports, wharves, and mooring areas; and guided commune-level People's Committees in registering and managing inland waterway vessels and water-based recreational vehicles in accordance with regulations.

Passengers use the Tam Quang - Tam Hai ferry for transportation. Photo: HOANG DAO

During the Lunar New Year and Spring Festival of the Year of the Horse 2026, the Department of Construction requested that waterway transport businesses review and ensure the conditions regarding vessels and operators; fully equip vessels with life jackets and life-saving equipment; and strictly comply with the Law on Inland Waterway Traffic and regulations on passenger transport business.

Statistics from 2025 show that the entire city experienced one waterway traffic accident, causing property damage of 110 million VND. Although there were no casualties, the accident serves as a warning that tragic incidents can happen at any time on the vast waterways if boat owners, drivers, and passengers are careless and do not comply with safety regulations. In reality, it is quite common for passengers traveling by ferry to refuse life jackets. The use of privately owned boats to transport people for sightseeing and production activities on irrigation and hydroelectric reservoirs remains widespread.

According to a specialist, inspections in 2025 revealed that some vessels in Hoi An (old town) were operating and picking up and dropping off passengers despite not meeting the necessary conditions for passenger transport. Violations related to registration, inspection, crew staffing, and supporting equipment were still occurring. Of particular concern is the absence of specialized inspection forces and district-level traffic police. Patrols and inspections at passenger ferry terminals managed by communes will no longer be carried out as regularly as in previous years. Conversely, the waterway traffic police will face difficulties in having sufficient personnel to be present continuously at river crossing passenger terminals, ports, and tourist docks.

Therefore, violations by ferry operators, boat owners, drivers, and passengers will not be promptly addressed or rectified. Only when authorities appear at the ferry crossing will boat owners insist on requiring passengers to wear life jackets, and passengers will comply. Or only then will boat owners transport the permitted number of people. For this reason, local authorities need to increase patrols and inspections, remind passengers of regulations, or resolutely penalize violations to ensure traffic safety and maintain peace on the waterways.

Source: https://baodanang.vn/an-toan-duong-thuy-dip-tet-3322107.html