VietNamNet Bridge - Hydrofoils on the HCM City to Vung Tau route are about to resume operation if they satisfy safety standards set by the Ministry of Transport.

The hydrofoil was on fire in January.

Their operations were suspended by the city for seven months after a fire broke out on a hydrofoil on Saigon River.

Minister of Transport Dinh La Thang has directed relevant agencies to re-license hydrofoils on the HCM City-Vung Tau route which meet safety standards.

"The resumption will depend on repair work and registrations that help ensure that hydrofoils will ensure safe services," said Nguyen Van Thuan, head of the Safety Transportation Department, at a meeting in HCM City on Monday.

Operators have been ordered to make all repairs and equip their hydrofoils with more fire-fighting devices. Thuan said the hydrofoils would resume service if they passed inspection.

These boats will have to be equipped with modern devices to control fires and explosions and have safety equipment for passengers, including anti-flammable clothes and anti-poison gas masks.

Mr. Tran Ky Hinh, Director of the Vietnam Register, said that the agency would carefully check hydrofoils before re-licensing.

Deputy Minister of Transport Nguyen Van Cong said the ministry’s inspectorate will conduct a number of unexpected inspections. If technical faults are found, hydrofoil operators will receive a warning for the first infringement, followed by a suspension for one month and one year for the second and third violations respectively.

Bui Cong Trung, chairman of Vina Express, said the hydrofoil operator had paid over VND200 million (US$9,400) per month in salary for the company's staff, and VND200 million in docking, office and maintenance costs because of the prolonged service suspensions.

Three companies provide hydrofoil services on the HCM City-Vung Tau route, including Vina Express, Greenlines and Petro Express, with more than 20 hydrofoils.

Tran Quoc Hieu, deputy director of PetroExpress, meanwhile said the company has spent over VND300 million a month on relevant costs over the past six months and its budget has almost run dry.

Most of the hydrofoils are old and were imported from Russia and Eastern Europe. Some boats have been used for over 20 years.

In June, the Vietnam Register disciplined the six officers of the vehicle registration bureau No. 6 in HCM City for granting the operation certificates for hydrofoil Vina Express 01 even though the vessel had defects and then caught fire on the Saigon River in January.

The officials were also blamed for making mistakes during the registration of two other hydrofoils running on the HCM City - Vung Tau route.

At noon on January 20, the Vina Express 01 hydrofoil departed the Bach Dang Wharf in HCM City to Vung Tau City, carrying 85 passengers, including 37 foreigners and seven crew members.

About 2km from the Phu My Bridge, sailors discovered fire from the hold. Passengers and the crew members jumped off the ship and were rescued in a timely fashion so there were no casualties.

After the incident, the city government suspended all hydrofoils operating on the Ho Chi Minh City - Vung Tau route from January 22 and established a joint working group to investigate the incident and check all hydrofoils.

In late April, the Ministry of Transport asked the Prime Minister's approval for the suspension of hydrofoils in HCM City because these vessels were too old and did not meet safety standards. All of the hydrofoils that ran on the HCM City-Vung Tau route were not allowed to resume operation.

Linh Thu