HCMC transport firm loses license indefinitely

HCMC's Department of Transport earlier announced to revoke Thanh Buoi's license for three months for mismanagement leading to a deadly accident, but a new decision from the department said the company will lose its license indefinitely.

The department said Thanh Buoi "provided a copy that is inconsistent with the original [documents] or false information in its application for a business license."

The company was previously fined VND91 million ($3,705) for eight violations following a deadly bus accident in September.

Among the violations, the most severe one being insufficient health checks for drivers, resulting in a VND22 million fine.

Police have also detained Le Duong, deputy director of Thanh Buoi, the son of Le Duc Thanh, the company's director, for investigation.

A Thanh Buoi bus was involved in an accident in late September that killed five people on a highway in Dong Nai Province that borders HCMC. Subsequent investigations revealed that the Thanh Buoi driver was speeding and that he had had his driving license revoked before the accident, also for speeding.

The HCMC transport department said its inspection had revealed other violations that went beyond its jurisdiction and would be dealt with by the HCMC Police and related agencies.

Thanh Buoi, established in 2000, is a major transport service provider in southern Vietnam. It has more than 1,300 employees and serves a large number of passengers on routes between HCMC, the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho, and the Central Highlands city of Da Lat.