Request not to attach irrelevant content to traffic signs

The sign with information about Son Hai's 10-year warranty like this has been removed - Photo: TUAN PHUNG

Do not include construction warranty information on road signs

Speaking with Tuoi Tre Online , Mr. Le Hong Diep - Head of the Department of Traffic Infrastructure Maintenance Management, Vietnam Road Administration - said that point b, clause 1, article 45 of the Road Traffic Law stipulates that road signs belong to road signaling works.

Clause 3, Article 45 of the Road Traffic Law stipulates: "It is not allowed to attach to road signs any content unrelated to the meaning and purpose of the road signs."

Therefore, the Son Hai contractor's installation of the words "10-year warranty on Son Hai road" on the Nghi Son - Dien Chau expressway sign is not in accordance with the law.

Second, in the national technical regulation QCVN 41:2019 on road signs, there are no regulations on construction warranty period or commitment on construction warranty period on signs.

The Construction Law and other provisions of construction law also do not have provisions on the requirement to attach warranty commitment signs on construction works.

The Nghi Son – Dien Chau Expressway project is implemented in the form of public investment. Decree No. 44/2024 regulating the management, use and exploitation of road infrastructure assets clearly states: For construction projects using state capital, the completed construction works are formed from state capital. After completing the construction investment project, a property dossier must be prepared and handed over to a state agency for property management.

Therefore, according to Mr. Diep, the Son Hai contractor's statement that the signs on the Nghi Son - Dien Chau highway are the property of the enterprise (contractor) is incorrect.

According to the reporter's observation, on the afternoon of November 2, the road signs (including: street name, maximum and minimum speed) with the words "Entering Son Hai Street, 10-year warranty" within the scope of the bidding package of Son Hai Group Company Limited on Nghi Son - Dien Chau Expressway were completely removed.

Similar signs without warranty information in other bid packages remain the same.

However, on the Tam Diep tunnel nameplate on Mai Son Expressway - National Highway 45, the tunnel's technical specifications still state that Son Hai Group provides a 10-year warranty.

“When the Nghi Son – Dien Chau expressway was first put into operation, I found it strange that the road name signs, maximum and minimum speeds of the Son Hai package included warranty information. It is good that the contractor guarantees the project longer than the regulations, but that is a written commitment to the investor, but writing it on road signs makes others think it is a way to promote the business.

Road signs need to be correct, with sufficient information, clear and concise as possible" - said Mr. Pham Cuong, who often drives from Hanoi to his hometown in Nghe An.

Must comply with regulations on road signs

According to a traffic expert, traffic signs must be placed correctly and with sufficient content. Adding irrelevant content to road signs in small letters below makes it difficult for drivers to read and distracts them while driving.

Second, road signs with the content of the contractor's 10-year warranty can easily lead to being misunderstood as disguised advertising.

Signs in accordance with design documents and completion documents of Nghi Son – Dien Chau expressway project – Photo: TUAN PHUNG

In addition, the Nghi Son – Dien Chau expressway project is a public investment project from the state budget. After the construction is completed, the investor accepts and pays, and the contractor hands over the project to the state. Therefore, it cannot be said that the signs or other items on the road are the contractor’s property.

"Through this, we need to review the responsibilities of both the investor and the supervising consultant as to why they allowed the contractor to install road signs with inappropriate content, and then removed the signs after 1 year of Nghi Son - Dien Chau expressway being put into operation" - the expert commented and said that through this, the Ministry of Transport needs to thoroughly instruct units and contractors to properly implement regulations on road signs.

According to information from Road Management Area 2, the removal of the signboard at the construction package by Son Hai Group Company Limited at Nghi Son - Dien Chau Expressway to erase the words "Entering Son Hai Road, 10-year warranty" was carried out under the direction of the State Inspection Council for Construction Acceptance and the Vietnam Road Administration.

The reason is that in the project design documents approved by competent authorities, the completion documents for the sign category have designs and content about street names, maximum and minimum speeds, and do not have the contractor's warranty information.

In mid-2024, the State Inspection Council for Construction Acceptance inspected the project and requested Project Management Board 6 (representing the investor) to direct the construction contractor to repair and fix the problem in accordance with the design documents.

However, the parties did not comply, so Road Management Area 2 requested the management unit to regularly maintain and immediately repair signs that did not comply with the design documents and had advertising text that did not meet standards.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/yeu-cau-khong-gan-noi-dung-khong-lien-quan-vao-bien-bao-giao-thong-20241103102946645.htm