Every New Year's morning, traffic in Hanoi is very quiet. However, there are still many people on the streets very early. At an intersection where there are no cameras to issue fines or traffic police, people on the road obey the law very strictly: no crossing the line, no running red lights, and patiently waiting for the red light to turn green for 60 seconds before continuing on their journey.
If it was last year's Tet, or before Decree 168, with such a deserted environment, running red lights would be... normal.
In fact, after Decree 168, people's awareness of obeying traffic laws has increased significantly, something that low fines in previous years could not do. First, people are afraid of being fined, then they realize the benefits of obeying regulations, and gradually they will switch to "voluntary compliance".
The story of waiting for a red light for 60 seconds on the morning of the first day of Tet, although seemingly a small matter, has great significance. The foundation for a developed, civilized society must start from the awareness and small actions of each citizen on the basis of voluntarily and consciously complying with the general rules and regulations of society. That is cultural behavior in the family, strictly obeying traffic laws when going out, not littering, voluntarily saving, fighting waste...
At a higher level, it is the implementation of major policies of the Party and State.
Among the many messages of the Tao Quan program on New Year's Eve this year, there is a message criticizing those who "put their own interests above the interests of society". Obviously, only when each individual puts his or her own interests after the interests of the collective and the interests of society with a self-conscious and voluntary attitude, will the goal of wealth, prosperity and flourishing soon become a reality.
It takes time for a citizen to patiently and voluntarily wait for a red light for 60 seconds. But if everyone is willing to unite, with a mindset of “putting social interests above personal interests” in life, in work, and in fulfilling social responsibilities, then each person has become a driving force in building a rich, beautiful, and civilized society.
Bringing the country into a new era - an era of rising up to develop richly and prosperously is not a slogan, but a requirement, starting with small actions, hundreds of millions of people as one, working together in unison.
