Call to boost Mekong water safety

      Waterway safety regulations must be tightened to become safer and more orderly in the Mekong Delta, experts say.
Their comments were made following a recent cargo-barge collision on the Hau River in Can Tho City that killed two tourists.
Floating markets in the Delta are a popular draw among foreign visitors, but increasing traffic in the region’s waterways is poorly regulated and often highly chaotic.
Speed danger
Thanh Nguyen, a tourist, said speed was a significant danger on the waterways.
He was travelling to the Cai Rang floating market in the Mekong Delta when a canoe speeding at 50km per hour suddenly crossed the path of the ferry, badly frightening passengers.
Tran Thanh Man, chairman of the Can Tho Province People’s Committee, said the main cause of most accidents was that boat and ship owners and operators disobeyed the safety regulations.
Most owners and employees did not attend training classes to drive barges, boats and other vessels, or obtain licences to operate their vessels, he said.
Since February, the committee has directed local authorities and police forces to strengthen supervision over the wharfs.
It has also told them to conduct periodic checks of ferry stations to eliminate illegal operations and sub-standard facilities, Man said.
The province has also made it mandatory for all passengers to wear life jackets, he said.