Saigon Bus Driver Disciplined for Driving on the Sidewalk

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June 5, 2017

It's not just motorbikes - Saigon's public bus drivers are now hopping onto the wrong side of the curb during rush hour.

The Saigon Bus Company has been quick to discipline one driver after a video of a him driving a 45-seat bus on the pavement went viral online, reports VnExpress.

As seen in the 25-second footage, the driver nonchalantly veered from the road onto the sidewalk to get ahead of Saigon's morning traffic jams, much to the astonishment of passers-by and other commuters.

“Sidewalks are for pedestrians, and buses are not supposed to drive there. The driver has committed a serious offense,” said Tran Chi Trung, director of Ho Chi Minh City's Center for Public Transport Management, to the news source. The driver has been suspended from work, and his action will also be reviewed by the authorities, Trung added.

In this case, the driver may have his license suspended for one to three months and be fined VND800,000 (US$35) to VND1.2 million (US$53) for not driving in the assigned lanes, according to Vietnam's traffic law.

Following this example, citizens can film and report instances of traffic law violations, and the perpetrators will be prosecuted once there is enough evidence, an official from the city traffic police told Thanh Nien.

The incident took place a few weeks after District 1's authorities halted their "sidewalk clearance" campaign.

Watch the daring example of driving in the video below.

Video via Facebook user Bích Thảo Nguyễn.