On Wednesday afternoon, at the O Cho Dua intersection in Dong Da District, traffic police fined numerous ride-hailing motorbike drivers. Most violations involved using mobile phones while driving, driving against traffic, and covering or obscuring licence plates with face masks or adhesive tape.
A driver found covering the license plate with adhesive tape (Photo by Tran Thanh)
A 23-year-old driver from the northern province of Nam Dinh said he feared camera-based fines and being recognised by acquaintances, so he used a face mask to cover his licence plate.
Meanwhile, those driving in the wrong direction and using mobile phones while driving claimed that they did so to save time or were in a hurry to pick up passengers.
Motorbike drivers who cover or obscure their licence plates are fined VND5 million, significantly higher than the VND900,000 penalty in effect before January 1, 2025.
A mask used to hide the license plate (Photo by Tran Thanh)
Nguyen Xuan Lan, 26, from Ba Dinh District in Hanoi, regularly booked app-based motorbike rides and encountered many reckless drivers.
Captain Dang Huy Thuan, an officer from Hanoi’s Traffic Police Team 3, stated that his unit has been consistently handling cases of ride-hailing drivers violating traffic regulations, including wrong-way driving and using mobile phones. He noted that such violations are among the key factors contributing to increased traffic congestion in Hanoi during peak hours.
App-based drivers make up a significant portion of the violators, and many assume that the police will ignore their violations.
Thuan emphasised that traffic police will enforce strict penalties without leniency or special treatment for ride-hailing drivers.
