On January 10, Lao Dong recorded that in the central area of Ho Chi Minh City, from about 10-12 o'clock, although it was not rush hour, on routes such as Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, Nam Ky Khoi Nghia, Nguyen Du, Le Duan, Nguyen Dinh Chieu, Hai Ba Trung,... there were prolonged traffic jams.
At around 11am, at Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street (the intersection between Truong Dinh and Nam Ky Khoi Nghia Streets), there was a traffic jam lasting hundreds of meters, people could only move slowly.
"I've gone through four traffic lights but I still can't get through this intersection. It's so congested," complained Nguyen Thi Lan.
Similarly, on Nam Ky Khoi Nghia Street (the intersection from Nguyen Thi Minh Khai to Ham Nghi Street), there was also a prolonged traffic jam, especially at the intersections with Nguyen Du, Ly Tu Trong, Le Loi streets...
Traveling on Nam Ky Khoi Nghia, Ms. Nguyen Thi Hoa, a technology car driver, said that she had never witnessed the scene of continuous traffic jams lasting for hours on the roads in the city center, continuously for many days.
"As Tet approaches, the number of vehicles is high. In addition, due to Decree 168 taking effect, the fines are high, so people do not dare to climb the curb or turn right at red lights... making the roads even more congested," said Ms. Hoa.
According to the reporter, although traffic jams occurred for a long time on many routes, there were no reports of people driving onto the sidewalks. At some major intersections, traffic police and youth volunteers were also present to regulate traffic.
A representative of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Transport said that since Decree 168/2024 took effect, people's awareness of traffic participants has been raised. However, with the high density of traffic, the road width in many places is narrow, leading to vehicles stopping and waiting for a long time.
"Therefore, in addition to adjusting the traffic light duration flexibly, the department is reviewing to consider installing additional traffic lights, allowing some vehicles to turn right and left at some intersections in the management area, to limit the situation of vehicles stopping and waiting for a long time," said a representative of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Transport.
