Vietnam traffic cops not allowed to carry R50

Sapa-dpa | 15 August, 2013 08:45

A policeman directs traffic on a street in Hanoi. File photo.
Image by: KHAM / REUTERS

Traffic police in the central highlands of Vietnam have been banned from carrying more than 100 000 dong (R47) while on duty, in an effort to prevent corruption, police said.

If an officer needs more than that amount for use after work, they must seal it and report it for approval from their boss, a police official from Kon Tum Traffic Department said, declining to be named as he was not authorized to speak to the media.

An additional regulation prohibits traffic police officers from smoking, drinking and using mobile phones while on duty, Colonel Tu Lam, director of Kon Tum Traffic Police Department, told the Tuoi Tre newspaper.

The regulations are aimed at preventing officers taking bribes from motorists.

Previously, Vietnamese police have been banned from hiding behind trees, wearing sunglasses or masks, and putting their hands in their pockets when dealing with traffic-violation cases.

Vietnam's police retained their position as the most corrupt of 12 institutions in the country, according to a survey released last month by Transparency International.