Vietnam's HCM City urges drug tests for drivers

Vietnam's Ho Chi Minh City authorities have asked transport firms to periodically test drivers of container trucks for drug use to help reduce the number of traffic accidents, local newspaper Vietnam News reported Friday.

Deputy Minister of Transport Le Dinh Tho said the number of container truck-related accidents have risen recently. According to him, substandard drivers, who often overspeed or use drugs, are a main cause of the accidents.

Therefore, drivers testing positive for drugs should be dismissed and their names blacklisted by authorities to make it difficult for them to find jobs.

Senior Lieutenant-Colonel Tran Huu Toan from the Ministry of Public Security's Traffic Police Department said many transport firms violate labor regulations. They do not offer contracts to drivers, do not pay social insurance and health insurance and not provide health check-ups or test driver's skills.

Overloaded container trucks are another problem on roads. At Cat Lai Port area in Ho Chi Minh City's District 2 and some places in District 7, many trucks stop to load more cargo after leaving the ports. Many local officials and experts have proposed the Ministry of Transport install more weighbridges in the city to inspect overloaded container trucks.

Last year, Vietnam had nine road accidents relating to container trucks. There have been 22 such accidents in the first five months of this year, mostly in Ho Chi Minh City, the northern city of Hai Phong and the southern provinces of Binh Duong, Dong Nai and Ba Ria-Vung Tau, according to Tho. Endi