Provincial People's Council surveys compliance with laws to ensure traffic safety on inland waterways

On October 17th, a delegation from the Provincial People's Council, led by Mr. Le Van Anh, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Council, conducted a direct survey on the compliance with legal regulations in ensuring safety of inland waterway traffic and the management, inspection, and registration of waterway transport vehicles in Dong Trieu and Quang Yen towns.

The Provincial People's Council's supervisory delegation conducted a survey at the Viglacera Dong Trieu inland waterway terminal.

The inland waterway network of Dong Trieu town is approximately 60km long, running through 14 wards and communes in the area. Currently, the town has 2 coal ports and 23 wharves with detailed planning, for which the Provincial People's Committee has leased land for inland waterway terminals.

In recent times, the security and order situation on waterways within the town has been generally stable, with no hotspots of criminal activity or drug-related problems. Traffic safety on waterways has been maintained, with no serious accidents occurring. The town also regularly inspects compliance with inland waterway traffic laws, detecting and handling violations. In particular, the town has resolutely suspended the operation of private and family-owned wharves that do not conform to the planning regulations, and is strictly monitoring them to ensure they do not resume.

The provincial People's Council's supervisory delegation conducted a survey at Tan An wharf, Quang Yen town.

The inland waterway network of Quang Yen town is approximately 70km long, running through 17 wards and communes. The main activities involving watercraft navigating these waterways are fishing and aquaculture. The town currently has 7 operational inland waterway terminals and 2 ports belonging to the Nosco shipbuilding and repair factory and Nam Phat Shipbuilding and Maritime Transport Joint Stock Company. The town has focused on directing relevant authorities to strengthen state management, inspect and review unlicensed and illegal terminals and wharves; strictly handle violations by vessels illegally anchored in terminal areas; and ensure the safety conditions of licensed ports and wharves.

The provincial People's Council's supervisory delegation surveyed Nosco Port in Quang Yen town.

The situation regarding waterway traffic safety in Quang Yen town is relatively stable. However, at the beginning of 2024, a boat capsized due to a storm on the Chanh River, resulting in 4 deaths.

Through on-site inspections, the monitoring team found that many inland waterway terminals operating in Dong Trieu town have not invested in traffic safety measures as required by their operating licenses. Furthermore, many inland waterway vessels with engines exceeding 6 horsepower are operating without registration or inspection, and are illegally providing passenger transport services on the river in Quang Yen town.

Following the survey, Mr. Le Van Anh, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Council, requested the Department of Transport and the towns of Dong Trieu and Quang Yen to urgently review, inspect, and assess the current status and operation of existing ports and wharves in their areas. Units and localities need to take measures to invest in missing facilities at the wharves to ensure safety according to the issued licenses. At the same time, they should urgently compile a complete list of unregistered and uninspected inland waterway vessels and report it to the Provincial People's Committee; and strengthen measures to ensure inland waterway traffic safety.

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