Ferry operators shun waterway safety rules

Concerns have been raised over the safety of ferry services across the Tam Giang Lagoon in the central province of Thua Thien-Hue.

Ferries servicing the Con Toc-Vinh Tu route across the Lagoon and the Hai Duong-Thuan An route connecting Phu Vang and Huong Tra districts are often overloaded with goods, vehicles and passengers.

The services got very busy in the lead up to Tet (Lunar New Year) but despite many ferry operators overloading their boats, lifejackets are rarely used by passengers and ferry drivers.

Many ferry operators cram their small boats with up to 50 passengers, twice the maximum capacity.

"Ferry operators are very familiar with the river, having worked on it for years," said one ferry operator who works on the Con Toc-Vinh Tu route in Quang Dien District.

"There's nothing to worry about."

The ferry operator, who wanted to remain anonymous, said most passengers didn't want to use "dirty life-jackets" and ferry operators only put them on during the wet season, when floods were more common.

Phan Minh Tam, head of Hung Thaùi Village in Phong My Commune, Phong Dien District, said local residents were well aware of the dangers of transport along local waterways.

"Many have no choice but to use the ferries, as other forms of transport in the area are limited," said Tam.

Though no serious accidents have been reported on the lagoon, waterway safety is an urgent problem across the country. More than 300 accidents as a result of capd boats are reported across the country each year, killing an average of 250 people and causing damages worth hundreds of billions of dong.

Most recently, four girls who were not wearing life jackets drowned when their boat overturned along the Vinh Phuoc River in Son Tinh District in central Quang Ngai Province.

On the same day, four women drowned in Ho Da Lake in Dong Hoa Commune, southern Binh Duong Province. The accident occurred when two of the women were taking photos by the shore of the lake, and fell in. The other two women drowned after trying to save their friends.

Statistics from the provincial Traffic Safety Committee show that only 20 out of 43 passenger wharves across the country have the necessary certificates to operate lawfully.

Nguyen Cuu Thang, head of the provincial Department of Transport's Transport Unit, said 88 per cent of 1,701 boats were registered, but violations, such as overloading boats and a lack of life jackets, were common during the Tet period.

Nguyen Van Tuong, chairman of Quang Loi Commune's People's Committee, said ferry operators were required to have at least seven life jackets onboard. In addition, Quang Dien District's People's Committee have helped ferry operators ensure they have life jackets during the stormy season.

"I have always reminded ferry operators to wear the jackets and get passengers to wear them, but many do not put them on when there are no safety inspectors around," he said.

Tuong said the committee carried out safety checks four to five times every year, but only gave warnings to ferry operators who were in violation of safety rules.

"An inspection team has been established to strengthen regular safety checks along the Con Toc-Vinh Tu and Hai Duong-Thuan An routes, the two main routes in the province, to assure safety for people this Tet," said Thang from the Department of Transport.

"All those who violate safety rules will be required to stop operating and their cases will be transferred to the traffic police for punishments depending on their violations," he said.