Vietnamese driver, owner operating overcrowded bus slapped with $3,800 fine

Authorities said the bus was stopped at 8:44 am on National Highway 80 in Tan Duong Commune.

Driver Nguyen Thanh P., 46, was found operating the vehicle with 55 passengers instead of the permitted 42, and was also driving outside the approved route.

For these violations, the driver was fined over VND20 million ($770) and had two points deducted from his 12-point license.

The bus owner, a transport cooperative based in former Ben Tre City, now part of the southern province of Vinh Long, was fined more than VND78 million ($3,030) for allowing the vehicle to be operated in violation of regulations.

The combined penalties totaled more than US$3,800.

Vietnamese traffic authorities have intensified enforcement against passenger overcrowding, especially during the Lunar New Year travel period, when demand for interprovincial transport surges and some operators attempt to maximize profits by exceeding capacity.

The Dong Thap case follows a series of similar crackdowns across Vietnam, where traffic police have pledged zero tolerance for overloaded buses, speeding, drunk driving, and other dangerous practices that endanger road users.