HCM City to cool down 10 congestion hot spots by year end
Ho Chi Minh City authorities will focus on dealing with traffic congestion at 10 traffic hot spots by the end of this year.
The 10 are among the city’s 37 identified congestion locations that have been selected to be resolved before the new year, said Le Hong Viet, deputy head of the office of the municipal Department of Transport.
These areas have the most complicated traffic situations, Viet said, adding that many units, namely traffic cops, police officers, traffic inspectors, steering boards, and transport businesses, will join hands to alleviate the gridlock.
The 10 hotspots include areas near Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Tan Binh District, Cai Lai Port in District 2, Truong Tho Port in District 9, Pham Van Dong Roundabout in Go Vap District, Cong Truong Dan Chu Roundabout in District 3, Duong Ba Trac Street in District 8, Nguyen Van Linh- Nguyen Huu Tho Intersection in District 7, and several others.
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| A serious traffic jam on Hoang Van Thu Street near Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Tan Binh District, Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Tuoi Tre |
Specific measures have been proposed by the relevant authorities to settle the issues, Viet added.
According to Nguyen Ngoc Tuong, deputy head of the city's Traffic Safety Committee, responsible units will be sanctioned if they fail to fulfill their missions at corresponding locations.
Aside from the proposed measures, regular supervision will be carried out to promptly deal with any emerging issue, Vo Khanh Hung, deputy director of the transport department said, adding that feedback from local residents will also be welcomed.
Congestion nightmare
According to the observations of Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper reporters on the morning of November 20, endless lines of trucks traveled at a snail's pace on Dong Van Cong Street and at the Vo Chi Cong-Nguyen Thi Dinh Intersection, near the Cat Lai Port.
Despite relentless efforts by traffic police, the bottleneck lingers until most afternoons.
Many drivers said it took them hours to enter the port.
Meanwhile, serious congestion is also common at the Cong Truong Dan Chu Roundabout in District 3 during rush hour, especially in the evening.
Cars are regularly stuck at the roundabout for 15 minutes during periods of congestion.
Streets near the Pham Van Dong Roundabout such as Hoang Minh Giam and Dang Van Sam are also regular victims of delay.
The activities of street food vendors on the sidewalks along the nearby Gia Dinh Park exacerbates the situation, compromising traffic safety as well as urban esthetics.
Although traffic officers are often dispatched to the area, the situation has not been resolved, said one commuter.
