Children face constant hazards from equipment which provides attractions, rides and games at pleasure gardens, funfairs and parks in Vietnam since most of it is not checked or licensed for operations.

The services are operated by individuals who reach agreements with local authorities to lease a certain public area for a period of time.

Nobody can guarantee the quality of the equipment, an official said.

The situation was alerted by an accident which took place on March 13 in Ca Mau City in the Mekong Delta, in which two children were injured when the cabin of a roller coaster train was thrown off the tracks.

An individual can offer games for children on an area of 100 square meters with a total investment of VND300-400 million (US$14,000-18,600), mainly for installing equipment.

“It’s better to offer the entertainment services for children at cultural houses, children’s houses or supermarkets to have more and stable clients,” said Ly, the owner of a company which provides entertainment services for children in Ho Chi Minh City.

“It is easy to operate the services. You just need to pay some taxes to local authorities. No one has ever come to check.”

Linh, the operator of an entertainment service for children on Nguyen Si Sach Street in Tan Binh District, admitted that she has not registered for anything.

“My husband repairs the equipment at home to ensure safety,” she added.

The risk of electrical shock is also present in most entertainment funfairs for children.

The metal rails of roller coasters and trains conduct electricity when the train is running, but they are not covered or isolated from touch.

According to regulations, any piece of equipment which moves at over three meters a second or reaches over two meters in height must be checked by competent agencies.

But simple games such as riding rubber animals do not need to be registered or inspected, said a district-level official.

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