Don't be subjective with water traffic

Inspectors of the Department of Transport check the safety conditions of the Dai Binh - Trung Phuoc ferry terminal (Nong Son). Photo: SC

The river system flowing through Quang Nam mostly has steep slopes. In the rainy season, many sections of the river flow rapidly, but in the dry season, they are shallow, making it difficult for boats to travel.

At Cua Dai (Hoi An), the inlet and outlet of the river at the estuary often silts up and shifts throughout the year. Due to the slope, the river experiences a situation of erosion on one side and deposition on the other, so the flow is fast and unstable.

In addition, in the summer, thunderstorms and tornadoes often occur, which are very dangerous for people traveling on rivers, irrigation and hydroelectric reservoirs.

And in fact, in 2021, two boat capsizing accidents occurred on the afternoons of February 25 and May 8, causing 11 tragic deaths.

In 2022, the high-speed canoe QNa-1152 on its journey from Cu Lao Cham wharf to Cua Dai wharf on the national inland waterway transport route Hoi An - Cu Lao Cham was sunk by waves when it was about 4km from Cua Dai wharf. The tragic accident occurred at 2:05 p.m. on February 26, killing 17 people.

Authorities need to increase patrols and control of passenger ports in Hoi An City. Photo: SC

Sadly, those painful lessons are still not enough to awaken inland waterway traffic participants, especially dock owners, boat drivers and passengers traveling by ferry.

That is why people participating in waterway traffic wear life jackets to deal with the inspection by the authorities. In the areas of irrigation and hydroelectric reservoirs, people who use boats to fish, raise aquatic products, and do agricultural production are also very subjective and do not use life jackets.

Decree No. 139/2021/ND-CP of the Government stipulates a fine of VND 500,000 to VND 1 million for the act of not equipping, or not equipping enough life jackets or personal life-saving buoyancy devices as prescribed, the fine is calculated for each life jacket or personal life-saving buoyancy device.

Any passenger who does not wear a life jacket or personal flotation device when participating in traffic on a non-motorized vehicle with a gross tonnage of up to 15 tons or a capacity of up to 12 people; a motorized vehicle with a total main engine capacity of up to 15 horsepower or a capacity of up to 12 people; or a vehicle carrying passengers across a river will be fined from 1 to 2 million VND.

The Decree has come into effect, adjusting towards increasing the fine level for a number of violations to overcome shortcomings and comply with the Law on Handling of Administrative Violations.

However, the inspection, control and handling of violations in reality are not as drastic and regular as on roads, especially at the district and commune levels. In addition to strengthening inspection and supervision, raising awareness of ensuring safety among participants in waterway traffic is also very important.

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