VietNamNet Bridge – Minister of Transport Dinh La Thang told an online newspaper that he had proposed to destroy vehicles of illegal racers, but the idea is not approved yet.
Thang said the Ministry of Transport supports HCM City’s proposal on raising fines on illegal racers because illegal races cause fatal accidents. He proposed the National Transport Safety Committee to seize and destroy vehicles of illegal racers, but the proposal is not approved yet.

Previously, HCM City asked the government’s permission to double fines on illegal racers, confiscate vehicles of racers and force them to do community service in order to control illegal races, which are developing in the country’s biggest city.

Deputy Minister of Public Security, Pham Quy Ngo, also said that fines on illegal racers may be higher and traffic police officers would be disguised while patrolling.

However, Hanoi Police Agency's director Nguyen Duc Nhanh said that vehicles of racers should not be destroyed but auctioned to raise fund for charity activities.

To curb accidents and traffic jams in big cities, Thang put forward measures as restricting personal vehicles, developing public transport and making breakthroughs in transport infrastructure development.

In early 2012, the Ministry of Transport will submit to the Prime Minister a plan on curbing personal vehicles, which will be made public for people’s comments.

As people complain that buses, the major mean of public transport in Vietnam, often skip bus stops, Thang said Vietnam cannot wait until it has modern public transport system to curb personal vehicles. The official said that his ministry’s employees are encouraged to use buses at least one day a week.

Deputy Minister of Transport, Nguyen Hong Truong, said that the final draft of the Fund for Road Maintenance is complete. Under this plan, a new kind of fee will be imposed on motorbikes and cars to have capital to develop transport facilities.

According to Truong, the Ministry proposed two ways to collect the fee. The first way is the fee will be collected via annual check of cars and through selling insurance for motorbikes, and the second way is through selling petrol.

Truong said the first is back by many ministries and agencies. If it is approved by the government, the fine will be applied as of July 2012. The ministry expects to earn VNd8-10 trillion from this fee annual, which will be invested in road maintenance.

TA