The 5th day of Tet (February 2) is the last day of the 9-day Tet holiday. From early afternoon, traffic density at the gateways to the capital began to increase.
Recorded at the southern gateway at 5:00 p.m., a line of cars nearly 3km long from Tu Hiep commune (Thanh Tri district) was jammed to Ring Road 3 towards the city center. Local congestion sometimes occurred due to the surge in the number of vehicles.
Thousands of vehicles moved slowly, so authorities had to divert traffic to the service road to reduce the number of vehicles going up Ring Road 3 to the center of the capital.
Forecasting that the Phap Van Expressway towards the center of Hanoi would be congested for a long time on the last day of the Lunar New Year holiday, Mr. Le Hoang Nam (27 years old, from Ninh Binh) proactively changed his travel route to avoid congestion.
"At the Van Diem - Thuong Tin intersection, I turned onto the old National Highway 1A to move into the city center. Traffic on the route was basically favorable, only encountering slight congestion about 300m before Nuoc Ngam bus station" - Mr. Nam said.
Some other drivers also said that they chose the route along the left bank of the Red River to move to the center of Hanoi. Although the distance is longer, the traffic on the route is clear and convenient.
Traffic at the southern gateway is forecast to continue to be crowded this afternoon and evening (February 2) as people return to Hanoi after the Tet holiday.
To limit traffic congestion, the Traffic Police Department of Hanoi City Police has mobilized 100% of its staff to be on duty, implementing traffic regulation and diversion plans, ensuring that people's journey back to the capital after the Tet holiday is safe and convenient.
The Traffic Police Department of Hanoi City Police also recommends that people continue to raise awareness of traffic laws, especially not driving after drinking alcohol, obeying traffic lights and wearing helmets when riding motorbikes.
Authorities will continue to inspect and strictly handle violations to ensure people's safety in the days after Tet.
According to Mr. Vu Ngoc Oanh - Deputy General Director of BOT Phap Van - Cau Gie Joint Stock Company, today, the number of vehicles on Phap Van - Cau Gie expressway through Thuong Tin district, Hanoi increased sharply, estimated at 130,000 vehicles.
During Tet holidays, traffic on the route averages about 105,000-110,000 vehicles/day.
The Phap Van - Cau Gie Expressway in Hanoi has three lanes in each direction, with a speed limit of 60-100 km/h. The Cau Gie - Ninh Binh Expressway, through Ha Nam and Ninh Binh, has only two lanes in each direction, with a maximum speed limit of 60-120 km/h.
