Cần Thơ authorities en route to inspecting inland waterway transport safety in Bình Thuỷ District last month. – VNA/VNS Photo Thanh Liêm

Authorities in the Mekong Delta have tightened safety measures for inland waterway transport for the ongoing rainy season.

The delta, which comprises 12 provinces and Cần Thơ City, has a dense river and canal network, which plays a major role in transporting people and goods.

Tiền Giang Province has an important waterway route between Mỹ Thuận Bridge and the sea through the Chợ Gạo Canal.

The 132-km waterway has strong flows, which cause a high risk of accidents during the rainy season when there are also strong winds and storms.

The canal is 28km long and has many ferry stations and thousands of vessels berthing there every day.

The province’s Traffic Safety Committee has called on competent agencies to thoroughly check safety conditions at the stations and wharves, their compliance with regulations related to life-saving and rescue equipment and the number of passengers vessels allowed to transport.

Nguyễn Văn Dũng, head of the province traffic police, said his agency had implemented comprehensive measures to ensure waterway traffic safety, prevent accidents and mitigate the impacts caused by rains and storms.

It proactively monitored the weather to take prompt measures to secure waterway safety and propagated legal regulations to ensure owners of passenger and cargo vessels comply with them, he said.

There was one waterway traffic accident in the first five months of the year in which one person died.

The delta is expected to have bad weather during this rainy season, and the traffic police in its 12 provinces and Cần Thơ City have stepped up checks to ensure waterway safety and propagation of regulations to the public.

In Trà Vinh Province, they regularly check vessels and advise people using them to wear life vests.

Dương Văn Hoại, a resident of Trà Vinh City’s Long Đức Commune, said most people living near the Cổ Chiên River in his commune earn a living from fishing.

“The traffic police routinely advise people travelling by boat to wear life vests to secure their safety.”

The rainy season coincides with school summer vacations and many children go out to play and use waterway transport, and so boat owners and parents have to remind them to wear life vests, according to the traffic police division.

Nguyễn Văn Hải, its head, said the police would maintain three special inspection groups to uncover and handle violations.

Cần Thơ advocates safety regulations at waterway transport sites, including ferry stations and floating markets, and inspects their operations.

In May its administration checked the Cái Răng floating market, one of the city’s most well-known tourism destinations, and gave away life jackets to small traders at the floating market.

Local authorities across the delta inspect routes that have a high risk of accidents and suspend the operation of vessels that fail to comply with safety regulations.

Bùi Trung Kiên, head of the Bạc Liêu Province traffic police, said inspection teams would inspect and penalise violations that are often the direct causes of traffic accidents such as unlicensed passenger wharves, illegal construction in waterways’ safety corridors and fishing activities that obstruct transport.

“Waterway transport vehicles which lack the prescribed safety equipment, exceed their authorised passenger and cargo capacity or have unlicensed pilots will be severely penalised.” – VNS