Ho Chi Minh City police and municipal agencies are drafting new traffic rules to reduce congestion. They are also discussing higher fines for several common violations.
Lieutenant Colonel Hoang Ba Tuan, deputy head of the traffic police division PC08 of Ho Chi Minh City Police, made the statement at a press conference on the city's economic and social issues on October 22.
He said the city's traffic situation has recently been affected by several factors, including weather, increased travel at the end of the year and the construction of major projects. Ho Chi Minh City Police and other agencies are coordinating efforts to address the difficulties and improve residents' travel conditions.
PC08 has applied technology to traffic signal control to increase road capacity in the city centre. After one month, capacity was about 30 percent higher than before. The unit reported the result to the Ho Chi Minh City Police leadership and the Department of Construction for consideration of expanding the model.
Because of prolonged rain, PC08 also asked the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training to consider ending classes earlier. This would give parents more time to pick up their children and reduce travel during peak hours when the weather is poor.
PC08 leaders also said Ho Chi Minh City Police and the Department of Construction are drafting a decision to replace Decision 23/2018 of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee. The decision regulates restrictions and permits for cars carrying goods and trucks travelling in the inner city.
According to Lieutenant Colonel Hoang Ba Tuan, the city must balance residents' travel needs with production because transport infrastructure is limited and traffic is dense. The replacement decision would shift road use by time of day, prioritizing residents' travel during the day and leaving night-time hours for freight transport serving production, especially goods that are not essential.
Ho Chi Minh City Police is also working with the Department of Construction and the Department of Justice on draft rules to increase fines for several common violations. These include stopping or parking on major roads during peak hours and obstructing traffic. The work is based on provisions of the Law on Urban Development.
Sources: Dân Trí
