Facing danger when working overtime
National Highway 5 is a vital traffic route connecting Hanoi - Hai Phong, a key traffic axis with extremely high density. National Highway 5 through Hai Duong has 17 overpasses, 156 connecting locations of national highways, provincial roads, district roads, urban roads and key routes; 8 industrial parks, industrial clusters; 7 schools located adjacent to the road; 25 bus stations, fixed bus pick-up and drop-off points.
There are thousands of workers working and moving here every day. Currently, the number of vehicles traveling is more than 6 times higher than the design, an average of more than 90,000 trips/day and night.
At around 5:00 p.m. every afternoon, near the gate of Dai An Industrial Park (Hai Duong City), thousands of workers are off work almost at the same time. Ms. Nguyen Thi Thu (29 years old, a worker working in Dai An Industrial Park) shared: "After work, I always feel secure on the road and am afraid of being hit by a car because the car is running fast and a lot. There were too many vehicles on the road, we had to squeeze between big ones. Once, I almost got turned over by a container truck and couldn't win."
Ms. Le Thi Mai (worker in Tan Truong Industrial Park) said: "The end of the shift is the busiest time, trucks and containers run loudly, but we have to cross the road, which is extremely dangerous. Workers just hope to have an overpass or at least a line to the road, a signal light to feel secure when going to work and home".
According to actual records, most industrial parks along National Highway 5 do not have separate transport infrastructure to serve workers, especially safe access roads, bus stops, motorbike lanes, etc. The chaos during rush hour not only affects traffic safety but also causes local congestion.
Need for synchronous intervention to ensure safety
To overcome shortcomings and limitations, ensure traffic safety for workers and laborers; maintain traffic order and safety on National Highway 5, especially at gate areas and road sections near industrial parks and clusters, the People's Committee of Hai Duong province has just requested relevant departments, branches and localities to strengthen coordination and synchronously deploy solutions.
The People's Committee of Hai Duong province encourages businesses to study the arrangement of shift work hours between businesses in the area, between workshops in the same factory with many workers to reduce vehicle density during rush hour. At the same time, arrange suitable premises in the industrial park to organize essential services, serving the daily consumption needs of workers right on the spot, after work hours.
Synchronizing solutions not only contributes to reducing traffic accidents, but also creates a civilized and safe working environment, supporting businesses to develop stably and sustainably.
Ensuring traffic safety for workers is not only the task of the transport sector, but requires the cooperation of businesses, authorities and people. Supplementing infrastructure, raising awareness and regulating working hours will be key conditions to reduce accidents and build a safe and modern urban area along this vital traffic route.
