When will National Highway 14 in Dak Lak stop haunting drivers?

The convoy slowly followed the tractors and practice cars on Highway 14 through Dak Lak .

Recently, Highway 14 through Dak Lak has made drivers frustrated and haunted by the number of agricultural and training vehicles moving frequently and densely at a snail's pace.

"Cow" sluggishly on the highway

After a long time traveling on National Highway 14, through Dak Lak province, VTC News reporters continuously encountered images of farm trucks and homemade vehicles carelessly "occupying the road" and moving "slowly", blocking the view.

At 8:30 a.m. on January 30, in the Cu Ne commune of Krong Buk district, two homemade tractors were following each other slowly for a long distance. Because the tractors were moving at a slow speed, the trucks and cars behind had to follow closely.

A long line of cars and trucks followed each other at a speed of under 30 km/h, not daring to pass because the middle of the road was a solid line.

The farm vehicle was sluggish on the highway.

This situation is not new but has been reported by angry drivers for many years.

Mr. Nguyen Duy Tam (56 years old, residing in Buon Ma Thuot City, Dak Lak Province) said that on the morning of January 30, he had to go to Pleiku City ( Gia Lai Province) for urgent business. However, when he reached Chu K'Bo Commune (Krong Buk District), for nearly half an hour, he had to drive at 25km/h because there was a tractor in front of him blocking the road.

"I often travel back and forth between the two cities of Dak Lak and Gia Lai, so I am no stranger to the obstacle of homemade farm vehicles. Having to drive at 25 km/h for a long distance has caused me to miss work many times," Mr. Tam said indignantly.

Many drivers on Highway 14 were terrified when they crashed into farm trucks and homemade vehicles.

The slow-moving tractor has long been a nightmare for Mr. TQ (27 years old) - a truck driver who regularly drives on Highway 14. According to Mr. Q., the traffic police often strictly punish those who cross the line or pass on solid lines, so cars passing through here do not dare to violate. Therefore, when a tractor appears on the road, a situation occurs where the whole convoy of cars has to slowly follow behind.

Many people have asked: If the traffic police are strict with violations of crossing solid lines, why do they allow vehicles that are prohibited from moving on the highway, such as tractors, to run wild and affect traffic?

The fear of driving practice cars

In addition to homemade farm vehicles, many drivers also expressed their frustration at the number of practice vehicles that frequently and densely travel on Highway 14. Small cars labeled “practice” speed along the highway, despite the long line of vehicles behind them, unable to pass or stop.

Learning cars cause difficulties for other vehicles in traffic.

Mr. Doan Viet Dung (32 years old, living in Dak Lak province) said that he sees practice cars on the road at all hours. The road allows speeds of 70-80 km/h, but practice cars only go 30-40 km/h, causing difficulties for other vehicles.

Not only Mr. Dung but many other drivers, every time they travel on National Highway 14, often pray to God and Buddha, hoping that they won't see any tractors or practice cars because they are afraid of having to crawl behind these vehicles at a speed of 20-30km/h.

The convoy "crawled" on Highway 14 because of the "obstacle" of a farm vehicle ahead.

"I was once fined by a traffic police officer for encroaching on the lane when I overtook a practice vehicle that was going at the speed of a bicycle. From then on, I had to swallow my anger and accept following homemade farm vehicles and practice vehicles to avoid getting fined.

We drivers also hope that the authorities will be flexible for traffic participants. If a tractor or a training vehicle runs on the highway and causes a traffic jam, the traffic police should consider not to fine if the vehicle is overtaking in safe conditions" - Mr. Dung shared.

"There is no such thing as a bait car"

Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Viet Hai, Deputy Head of the Traffic Police Department of Dak Lak Province Police, said that on National Highway 14 passing through Dak Lak Province, the unit has arranged 4 Traffic Police Teams to regularly patrol the area to help ensure order and traffic safety on the route.

Regarding the situation of "bait cars" or trapping passersby as reported by people, Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Viet Hai affirmed that it does not exist.

The Deputy Head of the Traffic Police Department said that the leaders of the Traffic Police Department regularly inspect, urge and remind officers and soldiers to strictly follow patrol and control procedures and strictly handle violations that are the cause of traffic accidents.

"Over the past years, the Traffic Police Department has not received any information from the people or drivers about the situation of decoy vehicles or trapping pedestrians. The Traffic Police Department has publicized the hotline number and mass media pages of the unit, so if people or drivers participating in traffic discover or have sufficient grounds to determine that there is a situation of decoy vehicles or trapping pedestrians, please provide information to the unit, we guarantee to handle it strictly according to the provisions of the law" - Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Viet Hai said.

According to Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Viet Hai, in Dak Lak province, tractors, tractors, and farm vehicles play an important role in agricultural production and family economic development. With rugged mountainous terrain, transporting agricultural products is difficult, and not many vehicles can operate on this terrain. Currently, there is no vehicle that can replace tractors, tractors, and farm vehicles in Dak Lak province.

"The Traffic Police Department is promoting and encouraging people to install lights, signal lights, mirrors, and horns on tractors to improve safety for tractors as well as reduce traffic accidents related to this vehicle" - Deputy Head of the Traffic Police Department of Dak Lak Province Police informed.

National Highway 14 is 980 km long, a vital traffic route through the Central Highlands provinces, and connects the Central Highlands with the North Central and Southeast regions. National Highway 14 crosses the most terrain and is the second longest national highway in our country after National Highway 1A. National Highway 14 (Ho Chi Minh route) passing through Dak Lak province starts at Km 1668 (Bridge 110, Ea H'leo district) and ends at Km 1793 + 900 (Bridge 14, Buon Ma Thuot city), with a length of more than 125 km.

HOANG MAI

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