VietNamNet Bridge – Traffic jams have eased somewhat in HCM City but not been eliminated, a top transport official has said.

HCM City plans several measures to ease traffic at congestion-prone sites.

Bui Xuan Cuong, director of the Department of Transport, told a meeting on June 19 that one of the reasons they still occur in some places is the plethora of traffic infrastructure works in the downtown area.

Le Hong Viet, deputy head of the department’s inspectorate, said inspections of the works have been stepped up, and warned contractors to speed up work so that temporary fences around construction sites could be removed soon.

The inspectorate has also eliminated the problem of taxis parking on banned streets, he said.

The city has 37 spots prone to traffic jams, according to the department. Of them, 25 have seen much improvement and two have improved somewhat, but the rest remain in a bad state, it said.

In District 2, traffic jams occur frequently near Phu My Bridge and the section between My Thuy Roundabout and Cat Lai Port.

Huynh Thanh Khiet, deputy chairman of the District 2 People’s Committee, said the department should install concrete strips to separate the automobile and motorbike lanes to reduce accidents at the foot of Phu My Bridge.

Cameras should be set up around the area and traffic police officers stationed to regulate traffic, he said.

Huynh Trung Phong, head of the city Road and Railway Police Division, said one way to reduce traffic jams at congestion prone spots is to specify which individuals or agencies are responsible for them.   

Cuong said traffic management units should review congestion prone sites to come up with solutions in case traffic lights are broken or signboards are not appropriate there.   

Work should soon begin to upgrade and widen streets like Truong Chinh, Tan Ky Tan Qyy, Hoang Hoa Tham, and Nguyen Thi Dinh, he said.

Around Tan Son Nhat International Airport are six congested spots, with three of them being extremely prone to traffic jams.

They are on Truong Chinh Street from Au Co to Tan Ky Tan Quy, the intersection of Cong Hoa and Hoang Hoa Tham streets, and the Pham Van Dong-Nguyen Thai Son-Nguyen Kiem streets roundabout.

Construction of one arm of a flyover between Hoang Minh Giam and Nguyen Thai Son streets and another over the Truong Son – Tan Son Nhat – Binh Loi – Outer Ring Road intersection to ease traffic around the airport is expected to be completed by the end of this month, Cuong said.  

When the two arms open to traffic, traffic jams outside the airport gates would be reduced, he said.

VNS