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According to an official at the Hanoi Police Department, pick-pocketing has become a major problem at bus stops.

Pick-pockets flock to Hanoi bus stops

Lieutenant General Nguyen Duc Nhanh, Director of the Hanoi Police Department, said this has become a major issue for bus passengers.

The department has begun to work with the Hanoi Transport Company to take measures to stop these crimes in order to make passengers feel that public means of transport are safe.

A number of bus drivers do not cooperate with the local police to deal with pickpockets, leading to the evil popularity, according to Nhanh.

The thieves work in groups and are very organised. They pose as regular bus riders, and many of them find ways to befriend their victims. The overcrowded buses give the perfect circumstance for this type of crime.

The bus stop in front of the University of Transport, in Ngoc Khanh Ward, Ba Dinh District, is a hot spot for the pick-pocketing.

Tran Ngoc Thanh, Head of the Transport Department under Transport Ministry, said that he inspected this bus stop and noticed pickpockets within 15 minutes. They act in open, without fear of reprisal.

The criminals usually show up at the bus stops at peak hours. Noon is a popular time, as well as between 5pm and 7pm.

Recently, Transport Minister Dinh La Thang said the Ministry of Transport will seek public opinion on restricting private means of transport in inner Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, instead of encouraging people to go by bus.

A conference on raising the quality of public transport is expected to be held soon, which will be a way for managers and drivers to discuss how to raise the quality public transport, especially buses, Thang added.

Criminals seen but not called out