Sichuan to Fix Traffic Loopholes in Wake of Tragic Accident

In the wake of several major traffic accidents due to overloading passengers on shoddy boats and buses, Southwest China's Sichuan Province has decided to take action to ensure traffic safety.

According to a circular from the Department of Communications in Sichuan, the province will spend 100 days banning unauthorized boat manufacturing and unlicensed boating, revoking licenses of those who overload the boats and buses they operate, and punishing wharves and stations allowing the overloading of boats and buses with passengers.

Once found, any hidden danger pertaining to traffic safety will be eradicated, according to the circular.

Since May, a string of major accidents have occurred in Sichuan involving overloaded vehicles.

Last Thursday, a ferry carrying 221 passengers sank in heavy fog in Hejiang County after striking a reef in the Yangtze. As of yesterday, 90 passengers had been rescued, 62 bodies retrieved and 69 people are still missing.

Overloading, improper manipulation on the part of the crew and dereliction of duty on the part of relevant local departments were blamed. The boat was designed to hold a maximum of 101 people.

More than 1,000 rescue workers yesterday continued their search for the missing in a section of the Yangtze from Hejiang to downstream Chongqing Municipality.

On May 14, 19 people died and 25 were injured when an overloaded minibus plunged into a creek in Luzhou. The bus was heading for Luzhou from Fangshan, a scenic spot in the southern part of the province when it fell from a bridge 6 metres above the creek after hitting the side of the bridge.

The bus had 44 passengers, but was designed to carry no more than 30.

On June 13, a private transport vessel sank in Nanchong Prefecture, drowning nine passengers. Six people are still missing. Official sources with Nanchong said overloading and poor navigation led to the accident.

The vessel, designed to hold 40 passengers, carried more than 70 at the time of the accident.

In response to the circular, Luxian, a county under the jurisdiction of Luzhou, yesterday destroyed four unlicensed boats and revoked the licenses of two overburdened boats to operate, local sources said.





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