Pedestrians violating traffic laws will be fined beginning February 1, according to the Ha Noi traffic police.

A group of people "forgot" to walk on a bridge for pedestrians and crossed the road in unmarked locations. — Photo dantri.vn 

The traffic inspectors and police will issue traffic citations to pedestrians violating the laws on major routes, traffic hubs and roads banning walkers.

Accordingly, pedestrians will be fined from VND50,000 to VND120,000 (US$2 to $5) for violations, including crossing roads at unmarked locations, walking on expressways, crossing centre dividers and carrying cumbersome objects.

Also, police will stiffen punishments for motor vehicles violating laws in order to ensure the safety of traffic during the Lunar New Year Festival.

Fines will range from VND100,000 to VND400,000 ($4 to $18) for illegal parking, not wearing helmets, not obeying traffic lights, traveling on expressways or walking on banned roads.

Using mass media, the Ha Noi police will sponsor programmes to increase the public's awareness about traffic safety beginning today and continuing until January 31.

There were nearly 1,700 traffic accidents in 2015, of which 112 were related to pedestrians and 916 were caused by motorbikes, according to data from the Hanoi police department. 

HCM City to enhance traffic inspection for Tet holiday

The HCM City's Transport Department has asked its inspectors to enhance traffic inspection and stiffen punishments of violating vehicles in the city in order to ensure traffic safety during the upcoming Tet (Lunar New Year) holiday.

Le Hoang Nam, chief of the Traffic Inspection Division 5, which managed the traffic at the city's eastern gateway, said the inspection team would be on duty 24/24 during the holiday to ensure smooth traffic and punish any violating vehicles, especially at the congested eastern gateway.

The team will enhance traffic inspection at hot spots such as Ha Noi Highway, Cat Lai T-junction, Thu Duc intersection, Suoi Tien theme park area, Tan Van T-junction and National Road 13 (at Binh Trieu Bridge and Hue Thien 2 petrol station).

The team will also oversee traffic on National Road 1 (Hiep Binh Phuoc flyover) and Hue Thien 3 petrol station, Linh Trung and Song Than flyovers, and roads near Linh Trung Export Processing Zone.

The inspectors will work closely with the police force to manage traffic violations on major routes, rivers and traffic hubs such as railway stations, piers, coach stations, inland wharves and bus stations.

The inspection will focus on inter-provincial coach stations in HCM City, including Mien Dong (Eastern) Coach Station, Mien Tay (Western) Coach Station, An Suong Coach Station, Cho Lon Coach Station, District 8's Coach Station and Nga Tu Ga Coach Station.

Fines will also be increased for fraudulent transport firms that gather around railway and coach stations, especially along National Road 13 (from Binh Trieu Bridge to Binh Phuoc intersection), National Road 1A (from Binh Phuoc Bridge to Suoi Tien theme park), Kinh Duong Vuong Street and Cat Lat and Binh Khanh ferries.

Illegal transport trucks will also be strictly managed in the city centre, including Ben Thanh market, and tourist budget areas like De Tham, Pham Ngu Lao and Ton That Tung streets, as well as 23/9 Park and Bach Dang Park.

Unsafe vehicles, drivers using alcohol, and drivers who do not have driving licenses or authentic certificates will be strictly punished.

Fines will also increase for buses, taxis and other vehicles travelling on the wrong routes, lingering in front of hospitals and schools, and dropping and picking up passengers at unauthorised locations.

The department has also asked transportation enterprises to improve their operation capabilities and service quality to serve the needs of passengers.

Specific instructions will be given to drivers who often travel at night, travel on dangerous slopes, and drivers of double-deckers.

Transportation companies have been urged to make ticket prices public and sell tickets in accordance with regulations, without any extra fees.

Local authorities have also been asked to crack down on crime during the holiday.

The 20-day inspection will begin tomorrow.

The city will also strengthen inspections on food safety, commercial fraud, smuggling and production of low-quality products during the holiday.

In a related issue, the city's Transport Department has ordered that road, bridge and other infrastructure projects in the city have been suspended from Jan 27 to Feb 15.

Project developers have been asked to clean the roads and make way for all the streets before February 1. 

VNS