The Vietnamese government plans to set up surveillance cameras in its biggest cities and around the country to try to reduce the number of traffic violations and accidents, according to official reports.
The plan will see cameras installed in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City this year, and around the country by 2022. Authorities want to curb traffic congestion that lasts for more than 30 minutes, as well as traffic accidents by a rate of five to 10%, Viet Nam News reported.
Senior officials have asked the Ministry of Public Security to plan the installation of cameras linked to traffic control centers, which can share and distribute data generated from the cameras.
A national database on traffic accidents and violations is expected to be set up by 2020, which will share the information with the ministries of justice, health and State-level committees.
Officials have said technology needs to be utilized for both traffic violations and to ensure public security. The government also urged that transport projects to be accelerated.
Authorities in Ho Chi Minh said last year they planned to install 100 more traffic cameras in order to boost traffic safety, in a move that was part of the city’s plan to be a “smart city” by 2020.
Over the past few years, traffic violations have been on the decline. The number of fatal traffic accidents fell from 11,349 in 2011 to 8,279 in 2018.