Many traffic participants are upset.
From January 1, 2025, when Decree 168/2024 of the Government on administrative sanctions for violations of traffic order and safety in the field of road traffic takes effect, the awareness of people participating in traffic has improved significantly, and the situation of running red lights has been limited.
However, according to people's feedback, at some intersections, there is a phenomenon of traffic lights (red lights and green lights) having a large time difference, causing difficulties for drivers. Many people hope that the Departments of Transport of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City will survey and adjust the traffic light signal rhythm according to the traffic flow (large traffic flows should have more seconds and vice versa).
According to Mr. Do Quang Vinh (residing in Yen Hoa - Cau Giay, Hanoi), the traffic light at the intersection of Hoang Dao Thuy and Tran Duy Hung (Cau Giay district), the red light here sometimes lasts up to 160 seconds but the green light lasts less than 60 seconds, making it very difficult to travel, creating conflicts, and even causing traffic chaos.
At some intersections such as Tran Duy Hung - Hoang Dao Thuy, Cau Giay - Khuc Thua Du (Cau Giay District, Hanoi) where there is a large number of people and vehicles passing through at all hours of the day, there is a large time difference between red and green lights, making many drivers frustrated because the waiting time for the light is too long while the travel time is short, causing traffic jams.
Similarly, at My Thuy intersection (Thu Duc City, Ho Chi Minh City) - one of the most complicated traffic areas in Ho Chi Minh City, the red light duration in the motorbike lane lasts from 100 to 130 seconds, while the green light lasts only 20 seconds. This makes many people feel inconvenient and waste a lot of time when traveling here.
According to Mr. Tuan Kim (residing in Thu Duc City), to go from Phu My Bridge to this intersection and turn back, he has to stop at least 2 red lights. Each time is more than 100 seconds, taking a total of 3-4 minutes. When the traffic density is high, 20 seconds of green light is not enough for vehicles to pass, causing prolonged congestion.
Adjust the light rhythm to match the traffic density
A representative of the Traffic Police Team of Cau Giay District, Hanoi City Police, said that the difference in red and green light times is due to adjustments to suit rush hour to reduce congestion on major streets. However, in reality, there are still shortcomings that need to be adjusted when applied at each intersection.
To overcome the shortcomings of the traffic control system, the Hanoi Traffic Police Department is expanding the traffic camera system on main roads and traffic axes. The automatic traffic control system using artificial intelligence (AI) installed at intersections will calculate and adjust the light rhythm depending on the density of vehicles moving in each direction, the direction with more traffic will be given priority.
Speaking with Lao Dong, Mr. Do Ngoc Hai - Head of the Department of Road Traffic Infrastructure Management (HCMC Department of Transport) said that the waiting time for traffic lights is set based on the flow of vehicles in each direction, the traffic congestion and traffic safety in that area.
"Adjusting traffic light times requires careful investigation by relevant agencies, including local police. After monitoring and evaluation, if deemed necessary, we will make adjustments," said Mr. Hai.
At the same time, Deputy Director of the Department of Transport of Ho Chi Minh City - Mr. Bui Hoa An - said that Ho Chi Minh City currently has 1,235 traffic light posts, including 991 green - yellow - red signal control posts and 244 yellow flashing posts. Ho Chi Minh City has applied modern technology to traffic management through the automatic traffic data monitoring system (VDS) at 118 cross-sections across the city.
Data on traffic volume, speed and density are analyzed by the Urban Traffic Management and Operation Center to adjust traffic lights at 216 key intersections. Thanks to that, the city has organized "green waves" to help vehicles move smoothly on routes such as Pasteur, Dien Bien Phu, Vo Thi Sau, and Truong Dinh.
In addition, Ho Chi Minh City is also piloting the Sapient smart traffic light control system at several major intersections, such as Ung Van Khiem - Nguyen Gia Tri, Nguyen Gia Tri - D5. It is expected that this system will be expanded to other important intersections such as Hang Xanh and Dai Liet Si 5-way intersection to improve traffic control efficiency.
Ho Chi Minh City installs right turn lights on red lights, reducing traffic stress
According to the Road Traffic Infrastructure Management Center (HCMC Department of Transport), there are currently about 100 intersections in District 1, District 3 and neighboring areas such as Dien Bien Phu intersection with Pasteur, Pham Ngoc Thach, Hai Ba Trung, Cach Mang Thang Tam; Vo Thi Sau intersection with Pasteur, Nguyen Thong, Truong Dinh; or Pasteur - Le Loi, Hai Ba Trung - Vo Thi Sau... installed with right turn signals when the light is red. Initial results show that congestion at these intersections has decreased significantly, helping traffic flow to be more stable, especially during rush hour.
The effectiveness of this solution is clearly demonstrated on Dien Bien Phu Street, from the Ly Thai To roundabout to the Dien Bien Phu roundabout. When the right turn signal is installed, the traffic flow becomes much smoother. At the Pasteur - Dien Bien Phu intersection (District 3), vehicles from Pasteur Street can continuously turn right onto Dien Bien Phu Street, significantly reducing the waiting time at the red light, while also releasing a large number of vehicles from the intersection area.
The Road Traffic Infrastructure Management Center is coordinating with the Ho Chi Minh City Traffic Police Department to continue reviewing more intersections that are eligible for installation, but the implementation will be carefully studied to ensure safety for pedestrians and to be consistent with existing infrastructure conditions.
Ho Chi Minh City currently manages more than 9.5 million vehicles, including more than 1 million cars and nearly 8.5 million motorbikes. This figure does not include millions of vehicles from neighboring provinces traveling through the city every day. To address traffic pressure, Ho Chi Minh City is accelerating the implementation of key projects, while upgrading the network of traffic surveillance cameras and optimizing traffic light operations on main routes. The Urban Traffic Management and Operation Center also applies artificial intelligence (AI) and big data to analyze and adjust traffic in real time. The review, flow and flexible adjustment of the traffic light system will be carried out more frequently.
MINH QUAN
