Traffic jams get worse in HCM City

A series of urgent measures such as building steel overpasses, installation of road separation lines, and reorganization of traffic have been carried out by Ho Chi Minh City recently.

However, since early September, jams have begun to occur frequently. During peak hours, traffic at the gateways and main roads is congested. In the latest downpours in the city on September 15, millions of people were stuck on the roads.

The Nguyen Thai Son - Pham Van Dong roundabout in Go Vap District has been a hot spot for traffic jams in recent days. Every day in the early morning, thousands of vehicles are stuck there.

Nguyen Thanh Duy of Go Vap District said previously it took him about 25 minutes to go from his home to his office, but now he has to struggle on the road for more than one hour.

"Since the roundabout was extended, the road is narrower, so traffic jams occur more frequently, more seriously than ever," Duy said.

A similar situation occurs on Truong Chinh, Cong Hoa, the gateway to the west of the city. This is the main road to the city center, so the number of vehicles from Hoc Mon District, District 12 and small roads to the roads of Truong Chinh and Cong Hoa is very high.

Meanwhile, at Hoang Hoa Tham overpass, vehicles come from many directions, causing traffic chaos. From this point, traffic jams extend over 2km to Ut Tich – Cong Hoa T-junction.

Ms. Xuan, of District 12, said she had to pass Truong Chinh Street every day to go to her office in District 3, so traffic jams have become a constant worry. The distance is only 8-9km but it takes her over one hour.

Similarly, congestion on the roads of Xo Viet Nghe Tinh (Binh Thanh District), Thu Duc intersection, Nguyen Tat Thanh Road (District 4), Nguyen Huu Tho Road, Kenh Te Bridge (District 7), and Nguyen Van Cu Bridge are becoming more severe.

According to the city's traffic safety committee, the fast growth of individual vehicles on the roads is the main cause. At present, the total number of cars and motorcycles in the city has risen to over 7 million, not to mention a large number of vehicles from other provinces.

"More worryingly, each day the city has an additional 1,000 new motorcycles and 100 cars, while the road surface increases insignificantly, and for a long time the transport infrastructure has not been able to serve a population of 10 million," said an official from the traffic safety committee.

Colonel Tran Thanh Tra, Head of the Road and Railway Traffic Police of HCM City, said the causes of traffic jams in the city were due to the rapid increase of personal vehicles, while the development of traffic infrastructure has proceeded more slowly.

"The situation is getting worse partly because of the start of the new school year, which increases the number of vehicles on the road during the rush hours," he said.

Dr. Pham Sanh from the University of Transportation said that with the rapid increase of vehicles, the city should focus on short-term solutions while waiting for long-term ones, such as building the subway and a rapid bus system.