Decree 168/2024/ND-CP regulating administrative sanctions for violations of traffic order and safety in the field of road traffic; deduction of points, restoration of driving license points, officially takes effect on January 1, 2025, including many violations with increased administrative sanctions.
As for motorbikes, the penalty for not obeying traffic lights is 4-6 million VND (previously the penalty was 800,000 VND to 1 million VND); the penalty for driving on the sidewalk is 4-6 million VND (previously the penalty was 400,000-600,000 VND)...
However, according to Lao Dong's records on January 4, although the administrative fines have increased many times, the situation of motorcyclists running red lights, going the wrong way, and driving on sidewalks occurs on many roads, especially when the roads are congested.
At around 10am, on Truong Chinh Street (from An Suong intersection to the center of Ho Chi Minh City, through Tan Phu district), there was a traffic jam, causing many people to drive onto the sidewalk.
"Driving on the sidewalk is a daily occurrence on this street. Whenever the street is crowded and congested, people climb onto the sidewalk to drive. Sometimes the sidewalk is even congested," said Ms. Xuan Lan, a resident on Truong Chinh Street.
On Ung Van Khiem Street (Binh Thanh District), at around 1:00 p.m. the same day, many people were seen driving motorbikes in the opposite direction in the lane from Ung Van Khiem - Nguyen Gia Tri intersection to Dai Liet Si intersection, even though this is a two-way street with no median strip.
Mr. Nguyen Son (Binh Thanh District) said that because the road is crowded with vehicles, crossing the street will be difficult, so people choose to go the wrong way to be faster when there are no traffic police patrolling.
The Traffic Police Department of Ho Chi Minh City Police said that on January 1, 2025 (the first day of applying Decree 168), Ho Chi Minh City Police fined 1,576 violations.
Of which, 70 cases were fined for driving in the wrong lane; 605 cases of alcohol concentration violations; 108 cases of speeding violations; 31 cases of entering prohibited roads; 97 cases of not obeying traffic signals; 6 cases of driving with drugs in the body... The total amount of fines was more than 6 billion VND.
All violations were recorded by the Traffic Police with images and clips for comparison with the violators. At the same time, the Traffic Police of Ho Chi Minh City also temporarily detained 664 motorbikes, 18 other vehicles and temporarily detained the driving licenses of more than 300 cases.
