National Highway 14, a crucial route connecting the Central Highlands provinces, faces a growing problem of encroachment on traffic safety corridors. Disturbingly, dump trucks are being used in these violations, creating an ironic and discordant image, like a misplaced “children’s song” amidst a serious issue. The incident at Km1536+20 on National Highway 14, passing through Kon Tum province, raises alarms about law enforcement and road safety corridor management.
According to the Road Management Area III, Vietnam Road Administration, the Ha Trong Dong family arbitrarily hired dump trucks to dump soil to illegally level land within the road safety corridor. This action not only violates the Law on Road Traffic but also poses a potential safety hazard for people and vehicles on National Highway 14.
Dump truck unloading soil near a highway
The incident was discovered during routine inspections of road infrastructure protection on National Highway 14, passing through Dak La commune, Dak Ha district, Kon Tum province. Road Management Area III immediately sent a document to the Kon Tum Provincial People’s Committee, requesting coordination to resolve this violation.
Beyond the Dong household, authorities also found that Mr. Tran Bao Khanh had a similar violation at Km1536+08 on the opposite lane. Mr. Khanh also used dump trucks to dump soil for leveling and arbitrarily installed a culvert connected to the drainage system of National Highway 14.
According to reports, the households hired trucks and bulldozers to dump soil in large quantities, extending tens of meters along the shoulder of National Highway 14. This not only encroaches on the road safety corridor but also affects road infrastructure, potentially causing traffic accidents, especially in adverse weather conditions or limited visibility.
Bulldozer pushing soil on the side of the highway
Despite Road Management Area III repeatedly sending official letters to the People’s Committees of Dak La commune and Dak Ha district requesting prevention and handling, the violations have not been resolved promptly. The households seem to deliberately ignore legal regulations and continue to construct encroachments on the road safety corridor.
Faced with this situation, Road Management Area III continued to send a document requesting the Kon Tum Provincial People’s Committee to direct relevant authorities to promptly intervene and thoroughly handle these violations. Upon receiving the request, the Kon Tum Provincial People’s Committee requested the Dak Ha District People’s Committee to preside over, coordinate with relevant units to inspect, review, and strictly handle the violations, and report the results to the Provincial People’s Committee.
Road sign on National Highway 14
Leaders of the Dak Ha District People’s Committee said that the district has directed functional departments to coordinate with local authorities to inspect and handle the case. It is hoped that with the drastic involvement of all levels of government, the situation of dump trucks encroaching on the traffic safety corridor on National Highway 14 will soon be stopped, ensuring the safety of people and vehicles, and preventing the jarring image of a misplaced “children’s song” from continuing to play out on this vital route.
