HCMC transport firm to lose license for up to 3 months for violations in deadly accident

Tran Quang Lam, director of HCMC Transport Department, said after a meeting with the company on Monday that the department had found various violations at Thanh Buoi, including failure to ensure traffic safety in operation, as well as failure to update driver profiles and perform health checks on them.

The violations are subject to a cash fine of VND90 million (US$3,660), and the license will be revoked as an additional punishment as the company's violations "had led to a traffic accident with serious consequences," Lam said, adding that specific punishment will be announced later.

A Thanh Buoi bus was involved in an accident late last month 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 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 currently 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.

The company suspended its passenger transport service on Sunday amid the investigation.