According to the passenger who recorded the footage, the incident occurred on March 17 during a coach journey from the central province of Ha Tinh to Hanoi.
"The Limousine coach had 22 sleeper seats and was fully booked then. The driver was constantly on his phone, playing online games throughout the trip. He even cheered loudly whenever he won," the passenger stated. "Many of us were extremely worried but were afraid to speak up for fear of repercussions. I decided to record the video and share it online later."
The video quickly went viral, drawing widespread criticism. Most commenters expressed anger over the driver's reckless disregard for passenger safety, with many urging authorities to investigate and take strict action.
Regarding the incident, Dang Minh Hoc, owner of Thai Hoc Transport Company, confirmed that the coach and driver in the video belonged to his firm. He stated that after verifying the case, the company had temporarily suspended the driver and were co-operating with traffic police to investigate further.
"This is a regrettable incident. Although we regularly remind our drivers to comply with traffic laws, this driver still violated the rules. We take full responsibility and ask for passengers' understanding," Hoc said.
However, his apology failed to calm public outrage. Many people argued that stricter management measures were needed to ensure passenger safety.
On the evening of March 20, a senior Ha Tinh Provincial Traffic Police Department official confirmed to Dantri reporters that the authorities were aware of the case and were verifying details before taking action against the driver.
