Minister of Transport Dinh La Thang has announced that the ministry and its agencies will take responsibility for all vehicle fires from 2012.

Spate of mysterious vehicle fires 

According to Thang, in a statement delivered during the ministry's regular press conference held on January 3, the Vietnam Register will be accountable for the automobile fires.

Thang said, “The fact that no agencies have stepped forward to take responsibility for these incidents shows that there is a loophole in the law.”

In order to fully achieve this goal, the Vietnam Register must quickly formulate policies that will be able to deal with such cases in the future, he added.

Trinh Ngoc Giao, General Director of the Vietnam Register, said cities and provinces nationwide recorded a total of 89 vehicle fires in 2011, leaving two dead and two others injured.

Hanoi has seen at least 42 vehicle fires since December, 2010 through mid-December of 2011, Giao noted.

“The causes for the majority of these fires remain undetermined, while 11.6% of the incidents happened were a result of short circuits, 6.9% caused by fires at parking lots and 4.6% were due to accidents,” he clarified.

In order to ensure safety for motor vehicles, Giao  recommended that police stations keep and update their logs concerning such incidents so as to find a way to work out solutions.

He called for tighter control over auto and motorbike repair and warranties, along with heightening the standards for fire-resistant materials used in assembly of vehicles.

He added that citizens also have a responsibility to get their vehicles checked regularly.