VietNamNet Bridge – A week before the lunar New Year 2014 or Tet, traffic congestion is reported on many roads in Hanoi, despite the effort of traffic policemen. It has become nightmare for Hanoians these days.

According to a senior official from the Hanoi traffic police agency, to curb traffic jams in the city before the Tet holidays, traffic police will be deployed in greater numbers at congestion hotspots and pressed into service round-the-clock on key days in order to ensure order and road safety in and around the capital city.

Municipal transport authorities have also said that inspections will be stepped up and violations strictly dealt with.

The Hanoi People's Committee has required the capital city's Department of Transport as well as its traffic police to focus on areas where large numbers of people are prone to gather, including flower markets, the city's gateways and sites that host traditional festivals.

Colonel Dao Vinh Thang, head of the Hanoi Traffic Police Department, said their personnel would work through the night before and after the Tet holiday to ensure smooth traffic flow and crackdown on traffic violations in the city.

All traffic policemen in the city would be mobilized to be on duty round-the-clock on weekends and on Lunar New Year's Eve (January 30), to avoid illegal street racing, he said.

He said more female traffic police officers will be posted at five major junctions.

On certain roads that lead to downtown Hanoi, including Pham Van Dong, Pham Hung, Thang Long Bolevard, Phap Van and Ngo Gia Tu, restrictions will be placed on all vehicles between January 15 and February 16. For instance, trucks with carrying capacities of 1.2 tons or more would be banned during rush hours, Thang said.

Traffic violations that are likely to increase during the holiday, including driving without helmets, drunk driving and speeding will be strictly dealt with, he added.

Transport hotlines set up for Tet

The National Traffic Safety Committee has launched 17 hotlines to receive information and petitions about transport operations and traffic safety during the Tet holidays between late January and early February.

Six of the hotlines connect the public with the Viet Nam Road Administration, including the numbers 0916908085, 0913432383 and 0438571447.

The hotline numbers of the Transport Ministry are 0913228315, 0903232654, 0903465896.

The traffic safety committee hotline numbers are 0989088719, 0913227844 and 0995918666.

The road traffic police hotline number is 06942608

The waterway traffic police hotline number is 06942407

The HCM City's Traffic Safety Committee hotline numbers are 0903700843, 0838220365

During last year's five-day Tet holiday, 290 traffic accidents were reported across the country, which killed 228 persons and injured 281. This was a slight increase over the Tet holiday in 2012 when 227 persons were reported killed and 274 were injured.

Source: VNS/VNE