VietNamNet Bridge – Traffic congestion in Hanoi is actually worse than in HCMC, according to a recent survey conducted by property service provider Savills Vietnam.

Traffic grinds to a halt on a road in Binh Thanh District, HCMC while an overpass has little traffic. Traffic congestion in Hanoi is actually worse than in HCMC

Hanoi’s traffic conditions are just behind those in Jakarta of Indonesia, Bangkok of Thailand and Shanghai of China, which are known for severe traffic jams, says the survey which Savills Vietnam announced on Tuesday.

Do Thu Hang, deputy head of research at Savills Vietnam in Hanoi, said the survey found that it took an average of 45 minutes to travel through a congested road in Hanoi while the same distance in HCMC required 30 minutes.

The number of private vehicles in Hanoi and HCMC has increased 35% annually in the past five years, double growth of people’s incomes in the two largest cities of the country. The figure is forecast to triple in the two cities by 2025.

According to the company, only 14% of the high-rise buildings in the center of HCMC have sufficient parking space for vehicles as investment in parking lots is costly but the rate of return is lower than other services.

Parking fees for cars in inner-city areas in HCMC and Hanoi average US$150 a month, the highest in the region.

Hang said fast-growing population, limited space for road expansion and increasing auto ownership would result in major challenges for the two cities.

SGT