VietNamNet Bridge – Ha Noi's Police and transport department began to conduct inspections of boats and wharves yesterday, June 2, to deal with waterway traffic safety violations.

The Hong (Red) River wharf located in Hoan Kiem District was the first to be inspected.

Deputy chief inspector of the city's Department of Transport Tran Dang Hai said the inspection team would issue fines for boats that did not meet safety standards and to those who ignored waterway regulations.

Boats would also be docked if their skippers did not have boat licences, he said.

The inspectors planned to remove illegal wharves which were damaging the inland waterway traffic infrastructure as well as substandard buildings, he said.

The move aimed to lessen inland waterway traffic accidents, he added.

Deputy head of the city's Waterway Traffic Police Department Nguyen Van Cuong said the department had issued 802 fines in the first quarter of this year.

"Although we have taken drastic measures to clamp down on violations, we are faced with a big challenge to ensure waterway traffic safety," he said.

According to statistics, the city has 48 inland wharves with nearly 300 boats in operation.

The Hong (Red), Duong and Da Rivers all flow through Ha Noi, and there are 69 large lakes in the city.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News