In Ho Chi Minh City, will beer stall owners be willing to report drunk diners to traffic police?
Tuesday, July 12, 2022, 15:53 GMT+7
There has been heated debate in Ho Chi Minh City about whether owners of pubs or beer stalls should call traffic police to inform them of inebriated customers to prevent driving under the influence (DUI).
With an aim to ensure traffic safety and curb drunk driving, traffic police in many cities and provinces nationwide have doubled down on an anti-DUI campaign by adopting several measures.
Among them, a measure in which pubs are asked to report drunk diners to traffic officers has provoked debate.
The leader of the Hang Xanh traffic police bureau under the Ho Chi Minh City Road and Railway Traffic Police Department last week said that his agency was working with district administrations to ask pub owners to remind their customers to refrain from driving under the influence.
Traffic police have sent the announcement to beer stalls on Huynh Tan Phat and Nguyen Van Linh in District 7 and Pham Van Dong Boulevard, known as a 'drinking haven,' in Go Vap District.
The traffic police department launched an intensive campaign to strictly handle driving under the influence and other traffic violations.
Accordingly, Party members, civil servants, public officials, and armed forces who violate DUI regulations will be reported to their managing agencies for punishment.
Police also require coach stations, seaports, beer joints, bars, and dance clubs to remind their guests to strictly follow the rule against driving under the influence.
Pubs were also encouraged to hang a banner saying, “Don’t drive after drinking.”
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| The owner of a beer joint on Le Duan Street in Phan Thiet City, Binh Thuan Province pledges in writing to regularly discourage customers from driving under the influence of alcohol. Photo: Duc Trong / Tuoi Tre |
But N.D.V., who resides in Thu Duc City and is the owner of a beer joint on Pham Van Dong Boulevard, lamented that it was very tough to call traffic police for fining drunk customers.
Echoing the view, P.H.N., a resident of Binh Thanh District, said driving under the influence is a chronic social issue.
“I think that no owners of beer joints will report drunk driving to police officers as that action will harm their business," N. said.
“Instead, they will only remind their guests to leave their cars or motorcycles at their restaurants and then hail a taxi home.”
N. suggested traffic police put together patrol teams to check areas where many beer pubs are located to promptly discover drunk driving cases and impose fines.
A representative of the traffic police bureau under the department said that the campaign is aimed at quickly eliminating drunk driving and thus reducing alcohol-induced road crashes.
Binh Thuan beer stalls pledge to remind customers to refrain from DUI
In Binh Thuan Province, located in south-central Vietnam, traffic police officers have visited all beer joints and restaurants to fine anyone driving under the influence.
Police officers also asked beer joints to pledge in writing to remind customers not to drive after drinking.
They stuck a warning sign saying “Don’t drive after drinking” on the walls of beer stalls on Le Duan and Hung Vuong Streets, and on taxi doors in the provincial capital of Phan Thiet.
Ngo Sinh Hung, owner of a bar on Le Duan Street in Phong Nam Commune, said that the traffic police’s actions are necessary.
Over the past months, Hung has suggested customers leave their vehicles at the bar and take a taxi home.
All drunk customers have agreed with his suggestion so far.
The owner of another beer stall on the street also supported the solution, saying that it is not irritating at all, while helping ensure the safety of customers.
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