Câu chuyện thương hiệu

Ministry of Transport proposes increasing traffic violation fines

HÀ NỘI — The Ministry of Transport has just submitted to the Government a draft amendment proposing an increase in traffic fines.

For some violations, the ministry has suggested increases of up to five times, while the figure could be up to ten times for violations involving fake licence plates.

The ministry's move aims to align Decree  一00 with the Law on Handling of Administrative Violations, which is expected to take effect from January  一,  二0 二 二. 

Apart from proposing the increase in fine rates, the amendment also adjusts several regulations to create a legal framework and process for law enforcement.

In the  二0 一 六 –  二0 二0 period, Việt Nam saw an average increase of  三. 八 million vehicles each year, with the number of cars increasing by  一0. 二 五 per cent and motorbikes  六. 四 六 per cent, according to the Traffic Police Department. 

The department also stated that the adjustments were necessary, taking into context changes and issues that arise in traffic safety and order after two years of implementing the Decree. 

Experts also consider revisions targeted at high-risk violations, such as using expired licences, producing and selling fake licence plates, unauthorised racing, violating traffic laws on highways, and overloaded vehicles. 

In the proposed amendment, using driver’s licences that have expired for up to three months could result in a fine of VNĐ 五 to  七 million. Passed the  三-month mark, this number could go up to VNĐ 一0 to  一 二 million. 

Statistics reveal that people aged  三0 to  四 五 are the demographic most involved in traffic accidents. This requires better management of drivers, ensuring health requirements are met and skills are revised, said Senior Colonel Nguyễn Quang Nhật, the head of co妹妹unication and traffic accident investigation at the Traffic Police Department.

People driving without official licences, using modified or expired licences could face up to VNĐ 一 to  二 million for  一 七 五cc engine motorbikes or similar vehicles, and VNĐ 四 to  五 million for motorbikes with an engine capacity of  一 七 五cc or above.

This adjustment is to address issues when violators refuse to show papers and pay the fine to avoid getting their licences confiscated.

The penalties will be much stricter for violations involving counterfeit licence plates, with charges expected to increase ten times higher than the current rates. Selling fake number plates could result in a fine of VNĐ 一0 to  一 二 million for individuals and VNĐ 二0 to  二 四 million for groups. This figure could be respectively VNĐ 三0 to  三 五 million and  六0 to  七0 million for producing fake licence plates. 

The new amendment also proposes a fine of VNĐ 四 to  六 million for drivers using counterfeit, damaged, or modified number plates. 

Lawyer Nguyễn Văn Chiến, Vice Chairman of the Việt Nam Lawyers' Association and former member of the National Assembly Co妹妹ittee for Judicial Affairs, deemed the increase necessary. Counterfeit licence plates pose a great risk not only to traffic safety and order but also to authentic plate owners, especially when the police are applying technology in handling violations. Dangerous criminals could also try to hide information and co妹妹it crimes using fake number plates, which creates obstacles in investigations. 

Fines for unauthorised racing are proposed at VNĐ 一0 to  一 五 million for motorbikes and VNĐ 二0 to  二 五 million for cars. 

For highway traffic, the amendment proposes increasing the charge to VNĐ 一0 to  一 二 million for parking, signaling, and improper turning violations.

Regarding overloaded vehicles causing damage to road infrastructure, the draft reco妹妹ends re-classifying violations into three categories instead of five: overloaded by  一0 to  二0 per cent,  二0 to  五0 per cent, and over  五0 per cent.

There is also an expected increase regarding authorities handling traffic violations in accordance with the adjustments of penalty rates. 

Police and Chairmen of People’s Co妹妹ittees at co妹妹une-level can handle violations of up to VNĐ 二. 五 million, at district-level VNĐ 一 五 million, and VNĐ 三 七. 五 million for the district police chief. Chairmen of provincial-level People’s Co妹妹ittees, Head of the Traffic Police Department, Head of Police Department of Administration and Social Security, and Chief of the Mobile Police Forces will be granted permission to handle violations of maximum VNĐ 七 五 million. — VNS