Drunk driver crams more passengers than allowed on sleeper bus

At around noon on Wednesday, as traffic police patrolled a section of the Phap Van – Cau Gie – Ninh Binh Expressway in Nam Dinh Province, they noticed the crowded bus and stopped it to check, and found the driver had 31 more passengers than allowed.

The 45-year-old, who has not been identified, was also found to have 0.099 mg of alcohol per liter in his breath.

He admitted to drinking with some colleagues before starting the trip.

The Law on Alcohol Harm Prevention and Control penalizes drivers for having any amount of blood alcohol.

Government Decree 123 amplifies the law to say that drivers on the road with alcohol level of below 50 mg/100 ml of blood or 0.25 mg/liter of breath will be fined VND2-3 million and have their driving license suspended for 10-12 months.

For alcohol levels from 50 mg to 80 mg/100 ml of blood or 0.25 mg-0.4 mg/liter of breath, the fine is VND4-5 million and the license suspension would last 16-18 months.

With levels exceeding 80 mg/100 ml of blood or 0.4 mg/liter of breath, the fine is VND6-8 million and the license would be revoked for 22-24 months.

The police fined the driver and his company a total VND53 million (US$2,000), revoked his license for one year, seized the vehicle for 10 days and suspended the vehicle badge for two months, which means the company is not allowed to operate the bus during that period.

Passengers on the bus were provided with alternative transportation to continue their journey.

Passengers of an overloaded sleeper bus in Nam Dinh Province are transferred to a new bus to continue their journey, May 1, 2024. Photo by police

Drivers carrying more than four passengers in vehicles with 16-30 seats on routes of under 300 km will be fined VND400,000-600,000 VND per excess passenger.

Vehicle owners face similar fines in the case of individuals.

If the owner is an organization it is fined VND800,000-1.2 million per excess passenger.