After the incident of a tourist boat capsizing in Quang Ninh, safety issues in waterway passenger transport continued to arise. In localities, the work of ensuring the safety of passengers has been tightened by authorities and businesses.
Discussing with Lao Dong Newspaper about ensuring safety in waterway tourism activities, Mr. Nguyen Kim Toan - Director of Thuong Nhat Company, the operator of Saigon Water bus and Saigon WaterGo, said that Ho Chi Minh City has more favorable natural conditions than many other localities due to less impact of storms such as the North and Central regions. However, that does not mean that they can be negligent and subjective.
It is important to clearly understand the probability and rules of weather phenomena during the year such as monsoons, tornadoes, high tides as well as the characteristics of rivers in Ho Chi Minh City.
Those who directly control vehicles such as ship drivers and captains need to be fully equipped with knowledge about nature, weather, legal regulations and the operation of vehicles on the Saigon River. From there, it is possible to react flexibly in unexpected situations such as the train capsize caused by a thunderstorm that just occurred in Quang Ninh.
On the business side, Mr. Toan said that the unit has implemented safety solutions, focusing on 3 factors: investment, management and governance. All revolve around a core principle of passenger safety.
The investment is carried out in a sustainable manner, not in a "show- feeding" manner. Management focuses on strictly controlling equipment, machinery, life jackets, fire extinguishers... to ensure they are always ready.
Meanwhile, human governance is considered the foundation. Only when the staff has sufficient knowledge, skills and safety thinking can a truly safe service for passengers be created.
As a business operating a tourist transport by canoe on the Dinh River, during the current peak season, Marina Travel Company Limited operates an average of 1-2 canoes on the river per day, serving about 40 - 50 visitors.
Mr. Vo Xuan Linh - Director of Marina Travel Company Limited said that the unit strictly complies with safety requirements prescribed by the authorities. All vehicles are fully equipped with life-saving equipment in accordance with the standards of the inspection agency. This is a mandatory condition for being licensed to operate.
Tourists are informed about safety regulations at the lounge such as wearing life jackets, sitting balanced while traveling by canoe, not letting their hands out... On the train, staff continue to guide the location of life-saving equipment and escape plans.
In case customers do not comply with regulations, do not wear life jackets, canoes will not leave the port. Before each trip, businesses must request an order to leave the port, submit a list of passengers and undergo inspection by border guards and port authorities. When all safety conditions are guaranteed, the new ship is allowed to depart.
Mr. Linh commented that currently, the authorities have very strict regulations, from vehicle technical standards to monitoring routes and weather conditions. The important thing is that businesses must seriously implement and continuously update information from meteorological agencies to proactively respond in all journey routes.
