Police step up pre-Tet checks at Ho Chi Minh City bus terminal, find ride-hailing taxi driver with alcohol

At around 6:15 am, traffic police detected a ride-hailing taxi driver identified as T.D.T., 35, from Dak Lak Province, with a breath alcohol concentration of 0.045 mg per liter, above the zero-threshold stipulated by law.

For the violation, the driver faces a fine of VND6-8 million (US$228-304), a deduction of four points from his driver’s license, and seven days of vehicle impoundment.

The driver said that he had attended a year-end drinking party with fellow ride-hailing drivers the previous night, and that residual alcohol remained in his system when he went to work early the next morning.

Besides T., police conducted alcohol tests on hundreds of drivers of long-haul coaches, buses, and taxis before departure, and drug tests on dozens more.

Most drivers were found to be in compliance with road traffic safety regulations.

The checks follow instructions from leaders of the Ho Chi Minh City Traffic Police Division (PC08), who said they had ordered teams and units under the division to step up patrols and tighten control over passenger and cargo transport operations ahead of the 2026 Lunar New Year (Tet), which is due in mid-February.

In the final three months of 2025 alone, PC08 recorded nearly 2,200 violations related to passenger transport operations on roads citywide.

Eleven drivers had their licenses revoked, while many others were penalized with license point deductions.