Drunk bus driver found transporting 10 passengers on HCMC expressway

The bus was pulled over by a traffic police patrol team in front of the exit of a toll booth in Dong Nai’s Thong Nhat Province, as it was running from Dong Nai to HCMC.

The police found that the 42-year-old driver had an alcohol level at 0.206 milligrams per liter of breath. The driver has been fined VND7 million, had his license revoked for 11 months, and had his vehicle seized for seven days.

The driver said he had drunk five cans of beer the previous night, but "did not think the alcohol would still be there the next morning".

Hoang Xuan An, head of the traffic police patrol team, said police forces would increase the monitoring of vehicles on the expressway to prevent drunk drivers.

Over the Tet holiday last month, traffic police forces dealt with 29,000 cases of drunk driving, an increase of 280% compared to the same period last year. In 2023, a total of 770,000 cases of drunk drivers were fined, more than 2020, 2021 and 2022 combined.

Vietnam imposes an absolute ban of alcohol content in drivers. DUI penalties can include a fine of up to VND40 million ($1,640) and a two-year license suspension, while those who cause accidents while intoxicated face criminal charges.