Ho Chi Minh City police uncover acute lack of escape hammers on sleeper buses

During inspections, officers discovered multiple vehicles lacking mandatory safety hammers, with some drivers and attendants completely unaware of where, or if, the crucial escape devices were stored on their sleeper buses.

On Wednesday evening, a sleeper bus traveling from Ho Chi Minh City to Ca Mau Province in the Mekong Delta was stopped by a municipal traffic police team for a safety inspection on Le Duc Anh Street in Binh Tan Ward.

After officers found no emergency hammer in the passenger compartments, they asked the driver and attendant to search for one.

The two men looked in several places inside the passenger cabin and at the rear of the bus but were unable to locate one.

Under Vietnamese regulations, passenger buses are required to be equipped with four to nine emergency hammers, depending on their permitted passenger capacity.

Officers subsequently issued a violation record against driver N.H.T., 36, for operating a vehicle without the emergency hammers required by law. The violation carries a fine of VND400,000-600,000 (US$15-23).

Traffic police also detected and handled multiple similar violations during the inspection campaign that evening.

While some bus operators strictly complied with safety regulations and fully equipped their vehicles, others failed to provide emergency hammers, according to traffic police.

Some operators had removed the hammers, stored them in separate compartments or failed to replace them after they were lost.

In some cases, even drivers and attendants did not know where the devices were kept.

Emergency hammers are mandatory equipment on passenger buses, particularly sleeper buses, according to authorities.

The hammers must be placed near emergency exit windows so passengers can easily see and access them when needed.

In the event of a fire, rollover or blocked main door, the devices allow passengers to break windows and escape quickly, potentially increasing their chances of survival.

Traffic police have urged transport companies to check emergency hammers, fire extinguishers and emergency exits before each trip.

Emergency hammers must not be removed or stored in places that passengers cannot access, authorities said.

Passengers are advised to identify the locations of emergency hammers, emergency exits and the nearest escape routes after boarding a bus.

Police advised passengers not to assume such hammers will never be needed.