The Hanoi People's Committee is currently collecting public opinions on the draft resolution.

The draft has raised controversy among the public because the fines are 1.5-2 times higher than fines stipulated in Decree 168/2024. The heaviest administrative fine is VND120 million for certain offenses.

Tran Van Manh, a truck driver in Hanoi, noted that since Decree 168 took effect, he has been very cautious while driving. Manh believes that the penalties stipulated in Decree 168 are already a sufficient deterrent, and there is no need to raise the fines.

"Fining traffic violations is a necessity to improve people’s awareness of traffic rules. However, if the fines increase by 1.5-2 times as proposed, this will put considerable pressure on drivers like us," Manh said.

Manh hopes that while imposing heavy fines, authorities and the police need to ensure fairness to avoid unjust fines or corruption during the law enforcement. The driver believes that instead of merely increasing fines, efforts should focus on improving traffic infrastructure, proposing installing more automatic surveillance cameras to deter violations.

Nguyen Van Thanh, former Chair of the Vietnam Automobile Transport Association, fully supports Hanoi's proposal to increase traffic violation fines.

Thanh stated that Hanoi authorities have legal grounds to make such a proposal, with reference to the 2024 Law on Capital City and the current complex traffic situation in Hanoi.

"After one month of Decree 168 implementation, we see noticeable improvements in public traffic awareness. However, some individuals still blatantly violate traffic rules. Therefore, raising fines is necessary. I agree that Hanoi should adopt stronger punishments on violators," Thanh said.

However, Thanh expressed concern over Hanoi's proposal to raise administrative fines by 1.5-2 times for 107 types of violations.

"I believe it would be better not to impose widespread penalties. Fine increases should be applied only to some violations like deliberate overloading, speeding, and drunk driving,” he said. “So, only 50 behaviors of violations should be punished instead of 107."

“Heavy penalties should be imposed only on extremely dangerous behaviors that pose accident risks or defy the law. Such behaviors should be subject to criminal charges,” he added.

Is VND120 million too much?

Under the draft, five types of traffic violations would be fined VND120 million. Explaining the fine, the resolution compilation board said these are violations that have negative impact on infrastructure.

One such violation involves granting or allowing other people to use vehicles, or vehicle owners using vehicles themselves when the total weight (including goods and passengers) exceeds the road's maximum load by 20-50 percent.

The public views this fine as excessively high compared to people's incomes.

However, Thanh believes the proposal is reasonable. He even thinks that the behavior needs to be criminally charged.

"In Thailand, such actions are considered intentional destruction of national assets and are subject to criminal prosecution. This measure has been applied for decades and is not merely a traffic safety violation. Overloading damages roads, and drivers must be responsible for destroying roads for personal gain. Repairing damaged roads may cost billions of dong," Thanh said.

While many experts say that there is an overabundance of vehicles in Vietnam, overloading still persists. "In principle, overloading only occurs when there are not enough vehicles. Why does overloading still exist in the context of vehicle overabundance?"

“Overloading pose high risks for traffic accidents, because overloading affects braking systems and other technical issues. Yet, many vehicles, especially trucks, are still overloading and this must be referred to as breaking national assets," Thanh added.

Khuong Kim Tao, former Deputy Chief of the Secretariat of the National Traffic Safety Committee, said traffic violation reflects the limitations in educating awareness and social relationships.

“Increasing fines should only be considered a supportive solution, contributing to improving the effectiveness of shaping behavior and raising awareness of compliance with traffic laws,” he said.

“The long-term and more important goal is building a sustainable traffic education system, where traffic participants not only understand the law but are also self-aware and responsible in practicing traffic culture in a civilized and safe manner,” said Tao.

N. Huyen