Danang bus owners face fines for advertising violations

Owners of four 47-seat buses in the central city of Da Nang may face fines of up to VND20 million ($852) each for fully covering their vehicles with advertisements of a real estate project.

Colonel Le Van Luc, deputy head of the municipal Traffic Police Department, announced Tuesday soon after the fully-covered buses were found parked on Duy Tan street.

Luc said there was evidence of violations by bus owners in changing paint colors and designs without competent agencies’ permission. Such violations could undermine safety of passengers in case of accidents, he added.

The bus owners have admitted that they covered the vehicles with advertising decals to draw attention when moving or parking.

Traffic police have temporarily seized the vehicles’ periodical inspection and registration certificates, Luc said.

According to Ha Vy, deputy director of the Da Nang Department of Culture and Sports, the bus owners could have also violated the Law on Advertisement.

Vehicles are only allowed to have advertisements on two sides. The four buses in question had both their front and rear covered with decals, he said.