On the evening of 1/3, a patrol and control team three of the Traffic Police Department, Da Nang City Police, stopped a passenger bus on Nguyen Luong Bang Street (National Highway one, passing through Da Nang). The bus, operating on the Quang Tri - Da Nang route, was found to be carrying 53 passengers, exceeding its 38-seat capacity by 15 people. Driver Truong Nhat Y, 37, residing in Quang Tri, tested negative for alcohol and drugs.

Passengers were asked to disembark and transfer the excess passengers to another vehicle. Photo: Traffic Police provided

Authorities identified the vehicle owner as Quang Tri No. 1 Automobile Joint Stock Company, which had assigned the vehicle to an employee who violated regulations. The task force issued an administrative fine against both the driver and the vehicle owner. The bus operator was also required to arrange another vehicle to transfer the 15 excess passengers to continue their journey. Working with authorities, a representative of the bus operator admitted the violation and committed to not repeating it.

This incident highlights a recurring issue during this year's Tet Binh Ngo (Lunar New Year) period, when traffic police in many localities detect numerous cases of passenger buses carrying excessive numbers of people on national highways. These overcrowded conditions pose significant traffic safety risks. All violating vehicles are fined and compelled to transfer passengers to other buses to complete their journeys.

For example, on 11/2, the Traffic Police Department (Hai Phong City Police) issued an administrative violation report against the driver and owner of a sleeper bus. This bus was found carrying 72 people, exceeding its design capacity by 29 people, and was fined 193,5 million dong.

Nguyen Dong