Net gain spells trouble for bikes

Vietnam is certainly tough on speeding vehicles – this author saw it first-hand on a recent trip to the country – but even this new technique comes as somewhat of a surprise – police have started using fishing nets to stop motorcycles.

Authorities in Thanh Hoa City, located in central Vietnam, started using the nets about a month ago to apprehend people who do not stop when flagged down by police, for offences ranging from speeding to not wearing a helmet.

The net is thrown over the back wheel, forcing the vehicle to stop. So far, no one has been injured.

Here’s what Colonel Trinh Xuyen, head of the Thanh Hoa Police Department, has to say about the new technique: “It seems unprofessional for the Thanh Hoa police to use such a primitive method that has never been used as a means to control speeding drivers, but in my opinion, when a police officer throws a fish net on the rear wheel of a motorbike, it forces the driver to  slow down and stop.

“Such a method is useful not only for the traffic police but also for the criminal police to nab robbers trying to make a get-away on motorbikes.

“Despite being termed unprofessionalism, this method is certainly very effective for the time being. When the net clings onto the wheel of a bike it causes the vehicle to slow for a moment before stopping or falling. This gives the driver enough time to react without getting hurt.”

There’s no word yet on whether the practice will be extended to other parts of the country.