There is a rising number of blue number plate designate cars used by government officials seen violating traffic laws.

Last week, news, photos, and video clip of a Camry with blue-coloured plate being forced to reverse by another car after attempting to run down the wrong lane on Phan Huy Chu Street in Hanoi became a hot topic for debates on many newspapers and social websites.

 The black Camry with blue-coloured plate being forced to reverse by another car after attempting to run down the wrong lane on Phan Huy Chu Street in Hanoi on September 12.

However, the story only ended there. For some reason, no one knows which agency the Camry belonged to, nor which agency it is owned by, despite the government regulation directly stipulating that only deputy ministers or those with higher posts are allowed to use such cars and plates.

It is not known whether that Camry was fined by traffic police. Whether the driver was fined from VND800,000-1.2 million and had their licence revoked from one to three months for the violation.

On September 18, Vnexpress Newspaper also published a video clip showing a blue-plated Fortuner driving down the wrong road causing a long traffic jam on Nam Ky Khoi Nghia Street on September 15. It wasn’t until a brave young man came out to stop it that the traffic police appeared and dealt with the flagrant violation.

But again, as is often the case in many other incidents, no one knows whether the drivers were fined for their violations.

Public vehicles, especially those blue-plated are often known for their insolent behaviour on the streets. There have been many photos and clips of them violating traffic rules shared in online newspapers and internet forums. These cases were just two typical examples which could have resulted in tragic accidents if not timely prevented.

There have not been any reports on the number of violations by public vehicles and the fines given to them. However, it is easy to see that the public is becoming increasingly angry with them.

There are some explanations for these public vehicles not obeying traffic laws. They are used by VIP people and high-ranking officials and so are given priority and favourable treatment by traffic police.

According to the Public Asset Management Department, there are around 40,000 public cars in Vietnam and the number is predicted to rise as many agencies are proposing to buy more. And it is a concern that the streets are becoming increasingly dangerous due to such behaviour.

Therefore, the ministries of Public Security and Transport need to take action to tackle the increasing violations by these vehicles.