The road transport management division under the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Transport has requested the municipal Department of Public Security to initiate a specialized investigation into sexual harassment on public buses following media reports on the issue.

Do Ngoc Hai, head of the road transport management division, announced the action plan at a municipal meeting on Monday afternoon.

In its written request, the division suggested the criminal police unit of the Department of Public Security launch a probe and use footage extracted from bus camera systems to step up the sexual harassment investigation.

Hai said his division has regularly applied many measures preventing sexual harassment on buses, such as installing surveillance cameras at the majority of bus stations and on all vehicles.

Each bus is equipped with a camera system including a dashcam, a driver-monitoring camera, and two other cameras along the bus body. 

Bus drivers and attendants have also been trained on how to handle situations of sexual harassment during bus trips. 

The municipal Department of Transport is operating the 1022 hotline to receive and resolve reports on the issue and other social vices related to road traffic.

Hai expected that local media would join forces in reporting crimes among residents so they would overcome the fear of making the crimes public.

At Monday’s meeting, Senior Colonel Le Manh Ha, an official of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Public Security, reported that the number of robberies and thefts in the city has decreased slightly in the first quarter of this year compared to the same period in 2021.

The department has beefed up patrols and secret police operations in crime-prone areas, as well as strengthened response forces at grassroots, district, and commune levels, according to Ha.

The senior colonel also advised residents to immediately seek help from passers-by and local police forces and try to remember relevant information, such as vehicle plate numbers and suspects' identification characteristics, in case of theft and robbery.

Ha added 'street knights' in Ho Chi Minh City are also actively contributing to the city’s crime prevention and control on a voluntary basis.

Local districts have established their funds to support people suffering injuries or property damage when participating in crime fighting.

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