Cửa Đại Port, Chàm Islands in Quảng Nam Province sees thousands of visitors every day. To ensure the safety of the boats operating here, Quang Nam province’s authorities are carrying out checkups both at the port and on the boats themselves. Safety procedures must be followed and no boats will be allowed to operate illegally.
"We issue heavy fines and punishment to boats that don't follow safety procedures, aren't equipping passengers with life vests, are carrying more than the allowed number of passengers etc… We won’t let them operate." - Tran Van Ba, Quang Nam Province’s Border Guard Command
Transport on the river is also being monitored carefully.
"We need to restore order in this field. We will forbid boats and passengers not following safety protocols to operate on the river. We have already suspended some docks along the Thu Bồn river." - Phan Quang Them, Quang Nam Province’s Waterways Management Department
Besides tightening management, Quang Nam Province’s authorities are also stepping up measures to raise awareness to boat companies about their responsibilities.
"The Department of Transport and the Waterway Management Department gave us a lot of assistance and have organized courses on law and legal issues." - Tran Hung, Director, Song Hoi Tourist Company.
As we've learned from the ship sinking incident in Danang City, control on the operations of tourist and transport boats need to be tightened, not just in the central provinces but across the entire country.
