Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has called for the implementation of immediate and effective measures to fulfil the National Assembly’s target of reducing the number of traffic accidents by between 5 and 10 percent.

Deputy PM Phuc made the appeal directly to representatives of the Transport Ministry, the National Traffic Safety Committee and the country’s 63 cities and provinces at a teleconference on July 6.

The conference aims to implement a Prime Ministerial directive urging action to reduce the number of serious traffic accidents. Better management of the country’s traffic is seen as a key national priority, especially as many serious traffic accidents have been blamed on violations of traffic regulations, weak State management and the limited efficiency of inspections and punishments.

The Deputy PM asked relevant ministries and localities to consider innovative methods to combat the problem, in addition to enforcing stricter punishments for violations.

According to Transport Minister Dinh La Thang, who is also Permanent Vice Chairman of the National Traffic Safety Committee, despite a fall in the number of traffic accidents and injuries, the death toll in the first half of the year increased by 244 cases, a 5.23 rise percent from the same period last year.

He proposed 16 key solutions, focused on reviewing the running of transport businesses, the process of car registration and the quality of testing and training procedures for drivers.

During the conference, representatives from localities exchanged their experiences and proposed solutions to curb traffic accidents and ensure traffic safety and order.-VNA