The move was made after a series of especially serious traffic accidents occurred due to violations of traffic safety regulations, weak State management, and limited efficiency of inspections and punishment.

Under the Directive, PM asked the Ministry of Transport to quickly review and amend legal regulations on conditions for road transport business and on drivers training and testing. Technical safety conditions will also be supplemented.

The Ministry needs to enhance inspection of drivers training and testing, car registration; strictly punish transport companies which do not carry out operations as stipulated in business licenses.

The Government chief ordered the Ministry of Public Security to boost road patrols and seriously fine drivers who deliberately exceed the speed limits, drive in the wrong lanes, violate regulations on alcohol and load limits.

Especially, cadres who intentionally protect and tolerate the violations of transport business conditions and traffic safety order by transport companies and training facilities, will be required to stop positions for investigations.

More serious traffic accidents

Last year saw the number of traffic accidents in Viet Nam decrease by 17% from 2011, according to the National Committee for Traffic Safety.

More than 36,400 traffic accidents occurred last year nationwide, killing 9,884 people and injuring 38,064 others. Compared to 2011, the number of accidents, the death toll and the number of injured people is down by 7,400 cases (17%), 1,647 people (14%) and 9,527 people (over 20%) respectively.

Four provinces leading the country in the drop in the number of traffic accidents, the death toll and the number of injured people last years are Vinh Phuc, Ha Tinh, Can Tho and Kien Giang.

In the first half of this year, traffic safety became a hot topic again after many deadly traffic accidents involving many people reported.

After the accident that killed seven people and injured 21 in Khanh Hoa province on June 7, PM Dung ordered concerned agencies to investigating the cause of the accident.

Two days later, on June 9, three major accidents occurred within the day, killing three people and injured 30 others in Quang Nam province; killing six in Ba Ria-Vung Tau; and injuring seven people in Tien Giang.

Earlier, the Ministry of Public Security had reported that 144 people died and 147 were injured in 170 traffic accidents that occurred nationwide during the first four days of the Tet holiday, from February 9 to 12./.

By Hai Minh