For many years, the impounded traffic violation warehouses in Ho Chi Minh City have always been overloaded. Tens of thousands of vehicles such as motorcycles, cars, and tricycles are exposed to the sun and rain.
The “time bombs”
Located in Le Minh Xuan commune, Binh Chanh district, the impounded vehicle warehouse of the Ho Chi Minh City Traffic Police is over 20,000 m2, consisting of 9 two-story buildings that meet the standards with roofs and a fire protection system.
However, because this place is holding more than 17,000 vehicles and running out of space, many cars and motorcycles have to be stored outside, stacked closely together, even piled on top of each other amidst dry grass and thick vines. Safety issues and vehicle damages are unavoidable.
The impounded vehicle warehouse in Binh Chanh district, Ho Chi Minh City, seen from above
After the law enforcement agencies have intensified the handling of drunk driving violations, the impound warehouses have become even more overloaded. Therefore, instead of impounding the vehicles, many people suggest only holding the license plates and documents and imposing severe penalties if the drivers decide to run on the roads… as a solution.
About 10 km away, thousands of vehicles are also piled up in the impounded vehicle yard of the Binh Tan district police (at the intersection of Ho Van Long and Vo Tran Chi streets, Tan Tao ward), with an area of about 3,500 m2. The outside of the yard is enclosed by a 2-meter-high iron fence with barbed wire on top. Inside, thousands of motorcycles are stacked closely together or piled up, mostly old, deformed, and covered in dust over time. Many high-value motorcycles such as Exciter, Vision, and Air Blade have been impounded for many years but their owners have not come to claim them, causing them to become rusty and deteriorated…
The cramped and unsightly scene also occurs at the impounded vehicle warehouse of the District 7 police (Nguyen Van Quy street, Phu Thuan ward). This warehouse is located under the Phu My Bridge, adjacent to residential areas, with an area of about 1,000 m2 and thousands of vehicles enduring the rain and sun. There is only a small path about 1 meter wide left for movement and vehicle transport. This impound warehouse is not guarded or regularly cleaned, so the grass grows wildly. Like the above-mentioned yards, many vehicles have turned rusty and damaged due to accidents and long-term exposure to the weather.
Vehicles stored at the impounded vehicle yard in District 7
According to our research, the vehicles brought into the impound yards are all drained of gasoline and engine oil. However, the risk of fire is always present.
Various solutions
Lawyer Truong Van Tuan (Trang Sai Gon Law Office) believes that the recent fire incident at the impounded vehicle yard in Binh Thuan province is regrettable. However, this incident is not difficult to understand as safety issues, explosiveness, and overloaded vehicles in the impound yards have always been a challenging problem. Solving this problem is the responsibility of the relevant state agencies.
To thoroughly address the issue of overloading at the impound yards for violators, according to lawyer Truong Van Tuan, the functional agencies should consider multiple solutions. Specifically, temporarily impound the vehicles for serious traffic violations, when there is evidence to prove that the vehicles do not belong to the violators or the violators show signs of resistance and non-compliance with the sanctions imposed by the competent authorities. At the same time, entrust a third party to oversee the impounded vehicles, and the related costs are borne by the violators.
Motorcycles, tricycles… in the impounded vehicle yard in Binh Tan district, Ho Chi Minh City
In addition, shortening the procedures, processes, and time for auctioning impounded vehicles should be considered early. This would solve the problem of overcrowding and contribute to the state budget.
Lawyer Tran Thi Thanh Thao (Director of Thao Tran Law Company) evaluates that with the current hot weather, the risk of fire in the impound yards is alarming. Decree 138/2021 stipulates that the administrative violation impound yards must ensure safety with a protective fence and fire protection system; outdoor impound yards must have a roof to prevent rain and sun… However, the reality shows that many impound yards in Ho Chi Minh City do not meet the standards.
In addition, another difficulty is that many cases involve individuals using homemade vehicles or vehicles without documents for transporting goods, and if they are impounded, they often give up the vehicles. Furthermore, with low-value vehicles but high fines, many vehicle owners simply abandon them without paying the fines. The increasing number of vehicles combined with limited impound yards leads to ineffective management, thereby giving rise to many other risks.
Regarding the solution, lawyer Tran Thi Thanh Thao suggests that within the 30-day notice period, if the vehicle owners do not come to claim their vehicles and pay the fines, an additional 10-day extension should be granted. After that time, a decision to confiscate the vehicles should be issued. The agency or unit impounding the vehicles is fully responsible for the auction procedures and vehicle sales.
“Furthermore, if people want to buy a new vehicle but their old vehicle is still impounded, they must handle the impounded vehicle before registering the new one. This is similar to the case of a vehicle with overdue fines that must be paid before undergoing an inspection” – lawyer Tran Thi Thanh Thao expressed her opinion.
Prone to fires
On the afternoon of March 9, a fire broke out at the administrative violation impound warehouse of the Tanh Linh district police in Binh Thuan province. This incident caused more than 230 motorcycles, 1 television… in the area of the impounded vehicle yard within the police station to be burned and damaged.
According to the initial investigation, when the vehicles were brought here, an officer emptied the gasoline for preservation according to the procedure. At this time, a police volunteer who had just finished smoking threw the cigarette butt, and the wind carried the cigarette butt back to the exact location where the gasoline was being emptied, resulting in a fire.
Fire at the impound warehouse in Binh Thuan causes extensive damage. (Photo provided by local residents)
In Ho Chi Minh City, at the beginning of June 2022, the impound and traffic violation vehicle warehouses were attacked by fire, causing thousands of vehicles to be burned. The law enforcement agencies had to make great efforts to fix the material damages.
At the end of March 2021, a fire broke out at the impound yard of the Thu Duc Traffic Police Team, Ho Chi Minh City, located on Thong Nhat street, Binh Tho ward. The local residents and some officers on duty at the yard used water and firefighting equipment but failed to extinguish the fire. Subsequently, the fire department arrived at the scene to control the fire, but many motorcycles were completely burned…
