Nguyen Huu Hai, born in 1978, from Quang Hung commune in Sam Son City, twice a day, from 6 am to 7.30 am, and from 4 pm to 5.30 pm, can be seen standing in front of the Le Mon industrial zone in Thanh Hoa City and waving to people.

Hai’s daily work is signalling to people so they can drive safely and minimize traffic congestion.

Born in Quang Hung commune, Hai left his hometown at the age of 13 for the southern region where he got married and lived until recently, when he returned to his home village to with his parents.

Hai said in early 2023, he witnessed a traffic accident when passing through the Le Mon IZ (industrial zone). As there was no traffic light in the area, the accident caused a serious traffic jam and chaos.

So he decided to become a traffic control volunteer.

“I have been doing the work for two years voluntarily, not authorized by anyone, and I am absolutely unpaid,” Hai said.

The man said on the first days of working, he faced a lot of difficulties. Some people thought he was crazy, while others scolded him for blocking the way.

“They said I had nothing to do, so I went to work as an unemployed traffic controller. But the criticism did not annoy me. I still try to work to help regulate traffic,” he said.

“At first, people did not follow my commands and they just tried to move ahead, thus causing chaos. But later, they got familiar with my signs and they saw me working hard, so they circulate in order,” he said.

Many reckless young men don’t listen to him. “That's why every time I signal to stop vehicles, I raise my hand and bend down to ask people to give way,” he said.

Nguyen Thi Hoai, who has been working in the IZ for more than 10 years, said she is grateful to Hai for his efforts to regulate traffic.

“All of us listen to him and follow his orders. We are not afraid of crossing roads anymore and we feel safer,” she said.

Meanwhile, Hai said he feels happy as he can help people go to work and return home safely.

Le Duong