VietNamNet Bridge – The Ministry of Transport has called on authorised agencies to launch thorough inspections on waterway vessels nation-wide in order to assure lawful operation and passenger safety.


Body of the last victim in the boat tragedy found


A tourist boat anchors in the Sai Gon River. An inspection campaign has been launched nationwide for strengthening waterways safety. (Photo: VNS)
The move follows the tragic sinking of a tour boat in southern Binh Duong Province that killed 16 people, including five children, last week.


The ministry required municipal and provincial People's Committees to tighten supervision on waterway transport services, focusing on multi-storey boats and floating restaurants in particular.


Vessels failing to meet safety requirements, including skippers without professional licences and low-quality engines, would be fined, suspended from operation and seized. Illegal wharfs would be shut down, the ministry said.


Local authorities have been called upon to implement drastic measures for better managing boats and ensuring waterway traffic order.


Enterprises who offer passenger services were urged to regularly update information in order to cope with unexpected weather changes during trips.


HCM City's Transport Department Deputy Chief Inspector, Nguyen Bat Han, told the Vietnam News Agency yesterday that the unscheduled inspection on boats along the Bach Dang Wharf and Sai Gon River on Monday and Tuesday revealed that many boats were in transgression of the law, some without life jackets on board.


Tour boat SG 0168 had only 210 life jackets available to 380 passengers. Most jackets had been kept in the boat's storeroom.

Boat owner slammed for tragedy

The Viet Nam Inland Waterway Administration Director, Tran Van Cuu, had an interview with the VietnamPlus e-newspaper regarding the tragic Din Ky boat accident in southern Binh Duong Province that killed 16 people last week.

Cuu affirmed that the owner of the Din Ky boat had to take full responsibility for the accident. Although local authorised agencies warned and suspended the boat from operation, the owner continued to operate the vessel anyway.

The owner did not obey waterway safety regulations. He operated without a licence; the skipper did not have a driving licence either and failed to check the quality of the boat as required.

All violations added up to serious consequences.

The General Department of Tourism should also take its share of responsibility for issuing a business licence for the boat.

The key aspect of preventing tragic accidents is raising awareness amongst people. The most important thing is to implement preventive measures to stop waterway accidents.

Although not an obligation, waterway laws encourage people to wear life jackets while they are onboard a boat.

Statistics from the Viet Nam Inland Waterway Administration revealed that more than 40 people died in waterway traffic accidents nationwide in the first quarter of 2011.


Tour boat SG 3019 was found to be operating illegally while several crewmembers on a Ben Nghe boat had never attended any professional courses.


Previous inspections on eight floating restaurants in HCM City revealed that most failed to meet technical requirements and regulations regarding fire fighting and fire prevention.


Han said that city traffic police would continue regular checks on tourism boats and floating restaurants along the Sai Gon River while and additional inspection campaign on transport vessels would kick off soon.


Can Tho has become the third locality, after HCM City and Binh Duong, to implement inspections on restaurant boats.


Ho Van Nam, deputy head of the Can Tho Waterway Traffic Police Department, said that two boats, My Xuyen and My Khanh, had been ordered to suspend operations due to operating without proper registration while failing to subscribe to safety rules.


A large number of unlicensed boats are often seen gathering at Ninh Kieu Quay offering two hour rides at VND250,000 (US$12.5) per person.


Although 120 boats were reported to have licences and to be contracted to tour companies, many of these did not have enough life buoys.


Can Tho has more than 65,990 vessels, of which only 5,501 have licences. The city has 10,760 certified skippers and chief mechanics.


VietNamNet/Viet Nam News