THE MINISTER OF COMMUNICATIONS AND TRANSPORT

DECIDES:

Article 1.- To issue together with this Decision the "Regulation on ensuring order and safety of navigation through bridges on inland waterways".

Article 2.- To assign the following tasks to the Director of the Vietnam River Navigation Department, the Director of the Vietnam Land Road Department and the General Director of the Vietnam Railways Union:

1. Within the ambit of their responsibilities to guide and organize the implementation of this Regulation.

2. To organize the popularization of this Regulation on the mass media so that all the related organizations and individuals may understand and implement it.

3. To guide the communications inspection forces to coordinate with the traffic police and local administration to intensify their inspection and strictly handle the violations.

Article 3.- This Decision takes effect 15 days after its signing.

Article 4.- The Director of the Office of the Ministry, the Director of the Legal Department, the Director of the Vietnam River Navigation Department, the Director of the Vietnam Land Road Department, the General Director of the Vietnam Railways Union, the Directors of the provincial/municipal Communications and Transport Services and the Communications and Public Works Services, the related organizations and individuals shall have to implement this Decision.

For the Minister of Communications and Transport
Vice Minister
PHAM QUANG TUYEN

Article 1.- The bridge management agency on inland waterways shall have:

1. To install signboards marking navigable spans according to the Regulation on Signals on Inland Waterways of Vietnam stipulated by Decision No. 1538/QD-KHKT of August 3, 1992 of the Minister of Communications, Transport and Post (now the Ministry of Communications and Transport) and Decision No. 1431/1999/QD-BGTVT of June 15, 1999 of the Minister of Communications and Transport;

2. To place a reverse water gauge at the bridge pier (with zero level as the lowest point of the beam base, bridge clearance indicator being the water surface);

3. At bridges with clearance and breadth of navigable spans below the norms specified at Vietnam Standards 5664-1992 on technical grading of inland waterways, there must be measures to ensure navigation safety and written notice to the waterway management agency so as to agree on measures to guide the safe passage of waterway means through the navigable bridge spans.

Article 2.- When conducting survey, maintenance, repair, construction� (called construction in general) at bridges, the building units shall have :

1. Not to affect the waterway navigation throughout the construction period;

2. Where an anti-collision system is added to the bridge to protect the bridge piers, this system must not affect the safety of the waterway means passing under the bridge;

3. When it is necessary to restrict or temporarily prohibit navigation on the waterway, prior permission must be obtained from the waterway management agency at the Section or higher level, and such restriction or prohibition must be announced on the mass media at least 10 (ten) days in advance;

4. All obstacles on the river-bed must be removed from the bridge protection area after the construction.

Article 3.- The management agency in charge of inland waterways shall have:

1. To install signals to guide the course for waterway means entering the bridge area under the approved plan;

2. Any change of the navigable span must be notified to the bridge management agency in order to move the lights and signals of the navigable span accordingly.

Article 4.- Before giving the start-off to the transport means, the captain shall have to carefully enquire into the characteristics of the bridges through which the means shall have to pass, such as:

- Position of the navigable spans;

- Clearance of each bridge;

- Breadth of the navigable spans;

- State of the river course and flow;

In order to take measures in advance to ensure safety during passage of difficult and perilous places.

Article 5.- Before steering the means through the structure, the captain has:

1. To draw up the travel plan, including: plan to assemble the crew, distribution of work to each crew member, definition of the technical performance of each crew member� when taking the means through the structure;

2. To directly inspect the safety equipment, such as the steering and anchoring devices, push poles, cushions... especially when passing through structures in the area subject to the tidal regime;

3. To inspect the preparations and assign crew members to stand guard at necessary positions and prepare equipment and outfit to prevent impacts under the approved plan;

4. To take great precaution when going downstream through the bridges, especially for the bridges near cross-sections of the water course.

Only when all conditions: water course, hydrology, weather, technical parameters of the bridge and the transport means are considered safe is it allowed to take the means through the bridge. Whenever suspicions remain, the captain must order the means to stop in order to investigate and ask for guidance from the Riverways Management Section or Station.

Article 6.- While the means passes through the bridge, the captain has:

1. To direct the means exactly along the signaled navigable span according to the "Regulation on Signals of Inland Waterways of Vietnam." For the bridges having buoys guiding into the navigable span, the captain must steer the means along the limit course between two rows of buoys;

2. He must personally direct and command the means when passing the navigable span in order to deal in time with all contingencies;

3. To slow down the speed of the means to the necessary level in order to have the initiative in steering the means.

Article 7.- At night time, the captain can order the means to pass the bridge only when the navigable span has enough signal lights on as prescribed.

1. In the flood season, when the flow is turbulent at the foot of the bridge and when it is considered unsafe for passage, the captain shall have to stop the means. While awaiting passage, the motor launch must be firmly tied to a safe place and one person must be posted to guard the means to provide against possible drift or impacting on the bridge pier. If several convoys pass the bridge at the same time, the captains must coordinate with and support one another and take the means one by one through the bridge.

2. At the bridge where the waterways management agency has established a regulating station, the captain must strictly obey the guidance of the station.

Article 9.- The captain is strictly forbidden:

1. To tie the means to the bridge framework;

2. To direct the means to move abreast, or to avoid or overtake each other when passing through the bridge;

3. To steer the means through the bridge when not all the crew members are on hand as prescribed;

4. To anchor the means within the bridge protection areas.

Article 10.- The means owner must take responsibility for using means and drivers not meeting the currently prescribed criteria .

Article 11.- The management agency of bridges, the management agency of inland waterways, the owners of waterway means, the captains of vessels who violate the stipulations of this Decision shall be dealt with according to law.

For the Minister of Communications and Transport
Vice Minister
PHAM QUANG TUYEN