VietNamNet Bridge – The onus of repairing pavements damaged by vehicles driving on them during road construction is on the road contractors, the HCM City Department of Transport has said.

HCM City has spent billions of dong improving pavements damaged by vehicles that use them to avoid traffic jams and construction work. (Photo: VNS)

The department called on local authorities to issue regulations making it mandatory for contractors to fix all the damage related to road works they undertake.

Damage to pavements by vehicles driving on them to avoid traffic jams and construction barriers is a common sight in the city.

Authorities lamented that they spent billions of dong to improve pavements and then they became badly damaged.

On Le Van Sy Street in District 3, for instance, there is a large barrier on a stretch where sewage pipeline work is going on. It is common for vehicles to drive around it and on the pavement and, as a result, tiles - newly laid - have been broken.

Similarly, pavements on Tan Binh District's Truong Chinh Street are in bad shape after a series of barriers was put up along it.

Pavements on stretches of Nguyen Kiem, Ly Thuong Kiet, Vo Thi Sau, Ton Duc Thang and Le Quy Don streets, on the other hand, have been ruined because vehicles drive on them to avoid severe traffic jams.

Mai Van Thuan, deputy chief of the Tan Binh People's Committee secretariat, said contractors were ordered to repair pavements on Truong Chinh, Cach Mang Thang Tam, Ly Thuong Kiet and Hoang Van Thu streets several times but they claimed to have completely spent the contracted amount.

Do Phung Hiep, head of the Phu Nhuan District secretariat, said he would suggest to his superiors to make it mandatory for contractors to repair damaged pavements.

Another problem is that most pavements, even if they are repaired, are fixed using just cement, with the tiles not replaced.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News