On the afternoon of February 22, the Traffic Police Department (CSGT, Ministry of Public Security) said: On February 19 and February 21, 2026, 2 consecutive waterway traffic accidents occurred (in Quang Tri and Lao Cai), causing great damage to people and property, leaving very tragic consequences.
Cases related to passenger vehicles and small vehicles serving entertainment, sightseeing, tourism, and early year festivals, pose a high risk of unsafety.
Faced with the above situation, implementing the direction of the leaders of the Ministry of Public Security and the leaders of the Traffic Police Department, the Director of the Traffic Police Department issued an order requesting the national traffic police force to urgently deploy synchronous solutions to ensure waterway traffic order and safety.
Accordingly, it is requested that the traffic police force closely coordinate with the commune-level police, functional forces and local authorities to review all tourist attractions, sightseeing spots, festivals, and entertainment areas with waterway activities; arrange officials to directly go to the area to inspect and strictly control at the beginning and end of the wharf; strengthen propaganda and guide people to strictly comply with legal regulations on inland waterway traffic; absolutely do not allow vehicles that do not ensure safety conditions to participate in activities.
Proactively review and compile a complete list of means of livelihood, rudimentary means serving daily life, travel, and fishing of people in each village and commune on river and coastal routes; develop rescue and relief plans, and be ready to respond promptly when incidents occur.
Functional forces strengthen mobile patrols and controls on the route; strictly control passenger wharves across rivers, ports, construction material loading and unloading wharves, passenger pick-up and drop-off points and small people's vehicles, vehicles serving entertainment, sightseeing, and festivals according to the peak planning set out.
Leaders and commanders at all levels are required to tighten inspection and urging work; resolutely consider the responsibility of officials and commanders assigned to monitor the area but lax management, fail to detect violations, fail to propose preventive measures, leading to accidents related to not fully performing their assigned responsibilities.
