VietNamNet Bridge – After introducing draft regulations on measures to control traffic jams in big cities, which were said to be unfeasible, the Ministry of Transport has introduced another draft project entitled “Restricting personal means of transport in big cities.”

According to the draft project, to own cars, residents in big cities have to prove to have parking space for their cars at home. The people who do not have permanent residency in big cities have to live in their cities for at least five years to be allowed to own personal vehicles.

Experts immediately criticized the proposals, saying that they are unfeasible.

Dr. Dinh Thi Thanh Binh, Director of the Institute for Transportation Planning and Management, said that it is unreasonable to ask people to live in big cities for at least five years to be permitted to register personal vehicles. This measure will not help reduce traffic flows.

“It is necessary to differentiate between restriction of the use and the ownership of personal vehicles. The restriction of ownership within a region will not work because vehicles move all the time. Foreign cars can run in Hanoi, let alone vehicles from other provinces,” Dr. Binh said.

“Hanoi is the home to workers from other provinces in the country. If they come here to work, they will take their own personal vehicles to Hanoi. We can’t prevent them to do that because they do not register their vehicles in Hanoi,” Binh added.

“This restriction will also make many problems and put pressure on state management agencies. Who will supervise the implementation of the regulations, who will verify, who will manage and who will impose fine on violators?” Binh raised questions.

Vice Chair of the Hanoi Planning and Architecture Association, architect Dao Ngoc Nghiem, said that in principle, traffic in big cities is overloaded and personal vehicles must be restricted, but in an appropriate way.

Nghiem said that the draft Capital Law stipulates that to become Hanoi residents, people have to own or hire houses in the city and stay there for at least three years. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Transport’s draft regulations proposes five years of residence in big cities to be able to register their own vehicles.

He said the Ministry of Transport’s draft regulations must be carefully considered, to avoid conflict with the Capital Law.

Kien Thuc