Hà Nội to investigate bribe-taking driver centres

HÀ NỘI — The Directorate for Roads of Việt Nam has asked Hà Nội’s Department of Transport to clarify the information about some driving training centres ignoring regulations by accepting bribes to guarantee success on theory tests.

In the document sent to the department, deputy director of the directorate Phan Thị Thu Hiền asked the department to quickly investigate the information about the violations reported by local press.

She asked the department to immediately carry out measures, including investigating and strictly handling violations, publicising the results of investigations and conducting close inspections of all driving training centres to ensure the proper management of issuing driving licenses in the city.

The department was requested to report the results before August 17.

Local press reported that certain driving training centres encouraged learners to pay additional fees apart from tuition to gain success on theory tests in driving exams. Learners were asked to pay an additional VNĐ2.9 million (US$127) for examination and licensing fees without having to learn the lessons.

This has caused public concern over the risk that licenced drivers who never really learned how to drive nor legitimately passed their tests will cause traffic accidents.— VNS