Where are the authorities?

" Troublemakers" allow vehicles to drive during restricted hours?

According to reports from residents, there is still a situation where "brokers" arrange for trucks carrying flowers from Lam Dong to Dam Sen flower market (Ward 5, District 11) to operate during prohibited hours and park in restricted areas… And one of these is T. (also known as T. "the one-eyed"). A Thanh Nien reporter investigated and learned that T. manages a loading and unloading team at Dam Sen flower market. Any trucking company transporting flowers from Lam Dong to this market that wants to operate during prohibited hours, park on Tong Van Tran and Nguyen Van Phu streets (Ward 5, District 11), or hire loading and unloading services should contact T. for assistance.

Despite a complaint call to the traffic police in District 11, the truck continued to freely drive on Hoa Binh Street to enter Dam Sen flower market.

In early August 2023, a reporter met a male trader named D. from Ho Chi Minh City who came to Da Lat City (Lam Dong province) to find a source of flowers to buy for resale. Mr. D. bought two crates of yellow chrysanthemums in Xuan Tho commune (Da Lat City), transported them to the Trai Mat roundabout area (Ward 11, Da Lat City) to hire a truck to take them back to Ho Chi Minh City. There, Mr. D. contacted T. to ask for help finding a truck to transport the flowers to Dam Sen flower market. T. introduced and gave Mr. D. the phone number of a man named M., the owner of a trucking company on Huynh Tan Phat street, Ward 11, Da Lat City, so that Mr. D. could contact him directly. After hearing Mr. D.'s explanation and mentioning that the person who gave him the phone number was T., Mr. M. agreed to transport the two crates of flowers back to Ho Chi Minh City.

Mr. M. said that his trucking company and T. have been working together to transport and load goods at Dam Sen flower market for over a year. Seeing customers worried that "the flowers won't arrive at Dam Sen flower market in time for the night market because Ho Chi Minh City prohibits heavy trucks from entering the inner city before 10 PM," Mr. M. reassured them: "Don't worry, guys. T. is familiar with that issue (referring to heavy trucks operating during prohibited hours) and can handle it…"

At approximately 2:30 PM, after being loaded with flowers, the 8-ton truck, license plate 49C-098.xx, driven by a driver named H., left Mr. M.'s parking lot heading towards Ho Chi Minh City. After about 20 minutes of driving, driver H. called T., provided the license plate number, and then accelerated.

At around 7:40 PM, trucks jostled with motorbikes on Binh Long Street (Tan Phu District) in their way to Dam Sen Flower Market.

Along the way, driver H. said that for over a year, he had become familiar with T.'s communication methods while transporting flowers. For each trip, the driver would notify T. twice for assistance. The first time, just as the vehicle was starting, he would report the license plate number; the second time, when the vehicle was nearing the Go May intersection (Ho Chi Minh City), he would say: "The vehicle is coming in, T."

At approximately 8:50 PM, the vehicle was traveling on National Highway 1 to the Quang Trung intersection (District 12, Ho Chi Minh City). Driver H. called T. on his phone and said, "Hello, the vehicle is coming in, T." Then, at around 9 PM, the driver drove the vehicle across the Go May intersection, and followed the route CN11 - Huong Lo 3 ​​- Binh Long - Thach Lam - Luy Ban Bich - Hoa Binh - Lac Long Quan, and finally stopped on Tong Van Tran street to unload the flowers.

After the trip, a reporter from Thanh Nien newspaper tried to meet T. in person. This person claimed that if the flower transport company from Da Lat to Ho Chi Minh City cooperated, he could help the vehicle travel during restricted hours and park safely in prohibited areas (?). In return, the transport company had to pay T. 10,000 VND per crate of flowers...

According to T., the shipping cost for flowers from Da Lat to Ho Chi Minh City is 110,000 VND per crate. T. collects the transportation fee from the wholesalers at 110,000 VND per crate, then transfers 100,000 VND per crate to the transport company. This amount does not include the loading and unloading fees from the truck to the market. T. explained that the transportation fee is borne by the flower growers (the wholesaler will deduct it from the purchase price). The loading and unloading fee is paid by the wholesaler at 15,000 VND per crate. T. handles the unloading of goods at any time the truck arrives at Dam Sen flower market.

Driver H. called T. to inform him of the news while on the road from Da Lat to Ho Chi Minh City.

Received the report but did not take action.

After several nights of observing trucks carrying flowers brazenly driving during prohibited hours and parking on restricted roads in the Dam Sen flower market area, and entering alley 341 Lac Long Quan - Nguyen Van Phu (Dam Sen flower market entrance) despite signs prohibiting trucks and buses at the entrance... a Thanh Nien reporter contacted several functional forces to "verify" the residents' complaints about "frequent complaints but no thorough action being taken."

At approximately 8:17 PM on August 11th, at the roundabout of Hoa Binh - Lac Long Quan - Ong Ich Khiem streets, a reporter observed trucks entering the flower market during prohibited hours. The reporter then called a leader of the Traffic Police Team of District 11 to report the issue. The person on the phone confirmed they were a leader of the Traffic Police Team of District 11, acknowledged the incident, and said they would send a patrol team to handle it. However, from the time of the call until nearly 10 PM, the reporter observed many trucks carrying flowers continuing to move into the Dam Sen flower market without any intervention from the authorities.

Traffic order has been restored in the Dam Sen flower market area.

Following the Thanh Nien newspaper's investigative series on September 9th titled "Trucks brazenly driving during prohibited hours in Ho Chi Minh City," the situation of heavy trucks driving during prohibited hours and stopping and parking on restricted roads such as Tong Van Tran and Nguyen Van Phu in the Dam Sen flower market area ceased that same evening. Traffic in the area was restored to order and safety. Many residents in the area expressed their gratitude to Thanh Nien newspaper for raising this long-standing issue and hoped that this order would be maintained in the long term.

Similarly, at 8:39 PM on August 12th, after observing numerous trucks and buses parked on Nguyen Van Phu and Tong Van Tran streets, a reporter, posing as a citizen, called a leader of Traffic Inspection Team No. 4 under the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Transport to report the issue. The person who answered said his team was responsible for the entire District 11 area and affirmed that "someone would be sent to handle it," while also advising the reporter to call the District 11 Traffic Police Team for further information. It was assumed that this time, authorities would come to address the problem, but after waiting for a long time, nothing happened. In the Dam Sen flower market area, trucks continued to park on prohibited roads and unload their goods as usual.

Despite the no-parking signs, trucks carrying flowers were still parked on both sides of Tong Van Tran street at 7:37 PM. Reporters notified the authorities, but no action was taken promptly.

At around 9 PM on August 17th, a reporter, posing as a citizen, called the leaders of the People's Committee and the Police of Ward 5 (District 11) to report the encroachment on sidewalks and prohibited truck parking around the Dam Sen flower market area. The response received was, "We have noted the incident and will coordinate the handling." However, by 10 PM that same day, the matter remained at the stage of "noting the incident and coordinating the handling."

Source link: https://thanhnien.vn/xe-tai-nghenh-ngang-trong-gio-cam-o-tphcm-luc-luong-chuc-nang-o-dau-18523091023134592.htm