The number of deaths increased by 300 from the same period last year, despite the fall in the number of accidents, it was reported.

The conference, attended by permanent member of the Party Central Committee Secretariat Le Hong Anh, was called to discuss the adoption of a decree on strictly implementing the task to ensure traffic safety and order.

Measures to ensure traffic order were not strong enough while traffic infrastructure was failing to keep up with the increase in the number of vehicles on the roads, he said.

Inspection and guideline tasks were not being carried out properly and some traffic participants lacked awareness of traffic rules, he said in a national online conference yesterday, March 25.

Participants admitted that traffic violations had increased and traffic accidents were still serious and numerous, causing great damage to both people and property.

Road traffic accidents and congestion remained urgent issues throughout the whole nation, affecting the sustainability of economic, social and cultural development as well as the country's image.

Many participants stressed the role of authorities in renewing information dissemination, fighting traffic violations and improving infrastructure.
Bus, lorry collide

At exactly 5.30pm yesterday afternoon up to 16 people were seriously injured in a traffic collision between an inter-provincial bus and a lorry on a section of National Highway 14 in Dak Nong Province.

The bus, running from Buon Ma Thuot City in the Central Highlands to HCM City, reportedly lost control at high speed and hit the lorry, which was driving in the opposite direction.

The power of the impact totally destroyed the lorry's cabin, and it took half an hour for emergency services to safely pull the driver out. Both of his legs were badly broken, while 15 passengers on the bus were also injured.

The accident also caused traffic jams stretching back 3km along the highway for three hours.

At the conference yesterday, Anh said ministries and agencies should diversify publicity campaigns to raise public awareness of traffic rules while focusing on developing traffic infrastructure.

Strengthening transport links by road, waterway and railway were also essential to helping ease the load for road transport activities, he said.

He noted that it was important to check and finalise legal documents about traffic safety and order and clearly define responsibilities of relevant ministries and agencies and individuals in ensuring traffic safety and order.

Decree No 18-CT/TW, issued in September last year by the Secretariat of the Communist Party of Viet Nam Central Committee, targeted to reduce traffic accidents by between 5-10 per cent each year.

Vietnamnet