VietNamNet Bridge – HCM City has recently been suffering from constant traffic jams even during non-peak hours.

HCM City has recently been suffering from constant traffic jams even during non-peak hours. — Photo kienthuc.net

This has been happening despite the Department of Transport’s series of measures to ease traffic.

Major streets running from the outskirts to downtown like Truong Chinh, Cong Hoa, Xo Viet Nghe Tinh, those around large markets like An Dong, Tan Binh, Binh Tay, and the downtown area have been the worst affected.

“This is the time to prepare for Tet (the Lunar New Year) and many dealers from Mekong Delta provinces are coming to the wholesale markets like An Dong, Tan Binh and Binh Tay to buy goods,” a transport department employee explained.

The constant traffic jams are also blamed on trucks being banned on many roads around Tan Son Nhat airport, the mushrooming of transport and environmental works around the city, and the encroachment of pavements and roads by small businesses.

“The city’s master plan is poor with a very low ratio of space for transport in comparison with other modern cities in the world,” Dr. Nguyen Huu Nguyen of the HCM City Social Society and Humanity University’s National Strategy and Policy Research Institute was quoted as saying by Nguoi Lao Dong (The Labourer) newspaper.

“The downtown area with its decrepit infrastructure is suffering because of a sharp increase in population due to the mushrooming of high-rise buildings, and traffic congestion is inevitable.”

He called for banning trucks in all the most congested places.

“The transport department should study and prohibit all automobiles on certain roads during specific hours.

“The department should work with … the traffic police and local authorities to mitigate the situation.”

VNS