Citizen Snitch: Vietnam to give cash for reporting traffic violators

Driving on Philippine roads is a frustrating ordeal, and you can tell that by the number of dashcam videos being posted on social media on a daily basis.

One of our Southeast Asian neighbors Vietnam has the same problem when it comes to bad behavior on the road. But starting this year, they’ve introduced a scheme that they think could make motorists behave better: by putting a bounty on them. 

Vietnam is set to reward drivers and pedestrians who will report verified evidence of traffic violations with cash incentives. Under decree 176/2024, Vietnamese motorists can earn cold, hard cash that can reach up to 5 million VND (PHP 11,000+). The incentive will be taken from 10% of the fine amount, so that means the payout will vary depending on the severity of the fine of the traffic violation.

According to a Vietnamese publication, the informant must provide proper documentation that’s specified by the authorities to claim the reward. While we did not quite get the exact requirements, those could be in the form of dashcam videos or pictures showing the erring motorist’s license plates, as well as the location of the incident. Identities of the informants shall be kept confidential to ensure their safety and privacy.

These are part of Vietnam’s efforts to improve road safety as they have also imposed higher penalties for major traffic violations this year. For example, motorists caught beating the red light can face fines anywhere between 18 to 20 million VND (PHP 41-45,000). Reckless driving violations can also be fined up to PHP 91,000 to 110,000 under the new decrees in Vietnam.

Meanwhile, the rest of the funds collected from traffic fines will be used by the Vietnamese government to enhance traffic safety efforts. Those include the purchase of additional traffic equipment and patrol vehicles, developing information systems, maintaining traffic databases, and supporting investigations and congestion management.

Should our country adopt the same scheme to weed out kamote drivers? Let us know in the comments.

Source: Vietnamnet