Vietnam crackdown on pedestrians

The Ministry of Transport has recommended to the Prime Minister that fines for pedestrians violating traffic laws in Ha Noi and HCM City should be raised as a measure to reduce traffic jams and accidents.

"Pedestrians still have a poor awareness of traffic rules. In many cases, pedestrians have caused fatal accidents," said Than Van Thanh, chief of the Secretariat of the National Committee of Road Safety's Office.

Many pedestrians argued that they had to walk on roads because the pavements were occupied by parked vehicles or businesses; and they did not cross the streets at pedestrian crossings or footbridges because there were too few of them and not ideally placed.