Effort to improve rail traffic safety

The local authorities in Khanh Hoa have taken various measures to prevent illegal railway crossing in an effort to improve rail traffic safety.

 

There remain 244 level railway crossings, including 84 legal. In 2018, the province has coordinated with the railway sector to close 6 illegal railroad crossings; set up 298 warnings “Beware of trains" and use barriers to narrow 105 self-made crossings, according to Khanh Hoa Traffic Safety Board.

 

The People’s Committees of districts and cities have also cooperated with Phu Khanh Railway Company to appoint guards at 13 rail crossings under the request by General Department of Railways. The sites are guarded with the professional support of Phu Khanh Railway Company.

 

 

 

Some railroad crossings in Khanh Hoa are unsafe due to lack of road deceleration humps, lights, road damage, etc.  These shortcomings have been pointed out by the Ministry of Transport after many surveys conducted in Khanh Hoa. Local authorities are also trying to repair the shortcomings to improve the situation, but the central problem is the funding.

 

The leader of Khanh Hoa Traffic Safety Board says road deceleration humps at railroad crossings will be built in order of priority. Khanh Hoa Traffic Safety Board has cooperated with Phu Khanh Railway Company and consulting units to take field trips to 53 railroad crossings.

 

However, due to lack of funding, road deceleration humps have been built at only 2 out of 13 railroad crossings on a top priority under the suggestion of Phu Khanh Railway Company with a total capital of nearly VND900 million. Khanh Hoa Department of Transport has approved economic and technical reports of the remaining 11 railroad crossings with a total funding of more than VND6.3 billion. The construction is expected to begin soon.

 

Currently, the funding allocation for the construction of road deceleration humps is not simple because of the limited provincial medium-term funding. Therefore, the local authorities have suggested the Ministry of Transport would provide funding to build road deceleration humps at the railroad crossings to improve traffic safety. It is also recommended that relevant central ministries and agencies allocate fully 35% of the road toll fee to the locality to continue the construction of deceleration humps at the remaining 23 positions under the request of the Ministry of Transport. The investment capital is estimated to be over VND33.3 billion.

 

Thanh Nam

Translated by N.T