Language won’t hamper traffic crackdown, police say

Tourists walk by a motorbike-renting shop in the backpacker area of Ho Chi Minh City’s District 1. English-speaking traffic policemen will be deputized to deal with foreigners caught flouting traffic rules in the latest safety crackdown in Ho Chi Minh City.

Under the traffic crackdown, HCMC police this week began fining foreigners and overseas Vietnamese caught breaking traffic regulations. The no-exemption policy has been welcomed by several foreign expatriates in HCMC who said people of all nationalities should be treated the same under the law. A UK citizen, who only wished to be identified as Cleves, told Thanh Nien Daily Wednesday that everyone who broke Vietnam’s traffic laws should be punished. Paul Finnis, director of Saigon Children’s Charity, concurred. But he said he was worried about the language barrier which could hinder communication between policemen and foreign offenders. “If I am stopped by a traffic policeman, how would we communicate?” Finnis said. Speaking with Thanh Nien Daily Wednesday, HCMC Traffic Police Deputy Chief Lieutenant-Colonel Tran Thanh Tra, said the city police force would dispatch fluent English-speaking personnel to handle foreigner-related traffic infringements. They would also be trained in how to handle a range of situations, Tra said. Senior Lieutenant-Colonel Nguyen Van Anh, head of the Immigration Department under the municipal police force, said his department would send interpreters fluent in other foreign languages to the scene in case foreign offenders could not speak English. Vehicle renters also face fines Owners of motorbikes rented by foreigners also face fines of VND100,000 to VND200,000 (US$5.9- 11.8) if their customers break traffic regulations, Lieutenant-Colonel Tra said, and could also be impounded. Owners of hire cars could also be fined VND1 million to VND2 million ($59-118) if their customers break traffic laws, he said. If foreign offenders flee the scene, the owners of their rented bikes or hire cars would have to pay their clients’ fines, Tra added. When stopped by the police, foreign offenders may have to produce identity documents, such as driving licenses from a Vietnamese agency, visa documents or a permanent or temporary residence card, at the scene and pay a fine at an office later. But their passports would not be kept in all cases by traffic police. For people under diplomatic immunity, traffic police will issue documents noting their infringements. The document will be forwarded to the municipal Department of Foreign Affairs consular division, which will handle the case and send the result to the HCMC Police Department. Senior Lieutenant-Colonel Anh said his staff had been trained to distinguish between various documents granted by Vietnamese agencies, including those indicating diplomatic immunity. Anh said police would take action against foreign offenders who confront on-duty traffic policemen. Call for improved road safety While supporting the crackdown, Cleves and Finnis also said they were looking forward to better road safety in HCMC. “The police should make more effort to stop dangerous drivers rather than just focus on minor offences,” Cleves said. Finnis said he was very worried about children aged under 14 not wearing helmets. He called for better policing of helmet laws to ensure all children wore helmets while riding motorbikes. HOW TO APPLY FOR A VIETNAMESE DRIVING LICENSE Foreigners eligible for driving licenses in Vietnam include those who have lived, worked or studied in Vietnam for at least three months and have legitimate driving licenses granted by their home countries. To apply for Vietnamese driving licenses in Ho Chi Minh City, foreigners need to submit the following documents: An application letter certified by their Vietnamese employer or agency; A copy of their driving license and a Vietnamese translation; A copy of their passport. Those under diplomatic immunity have to present an introduction letter from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; and Three passport photos. License applications, which should be processed within five days, can be made at HCMC Department of Transport offices at: 252 Ly Chinh Thang, Ward 9, District 3; 8 Nguyen Anh Thu, Trung My Tay Ward, District 12; or 111 Tan Son Nhi, Tan Son Nhi Ward, Tan Phu District. In Hanoi, the documents can be submitted at the Hanoi Department of Transport offices at: 16 Cao Ba Quat, Ba Dinh District; or 2 Phung Hung Street, Ha Dong Town. Reported by Nghia Pham - An Dien