A traffic jam in HCM CIty. (Photo: VNA) HCM City (VNA) – The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Transport has set out a series of measures to continue improving the local problem of traffic congestion in 2019.
As of December 2018, the entire city had 28 locations at risk of congestion, with hotspots in 2017 like My Thuy junction in District 2, Cong truong Dan chu intersection in District 3 and 10, and Phan Van Tri – Pham Van Dong intersection in Binh Thanh district showing signs of improvement.
According to Bui Xuan Cuong, Director of the department, next year, the city will focus on completing mechanisms and State management for urban transport, developing traffic infrastructure, increasing the quality of passenger and cargo transport, and boosting communication campaigns on traffic order and safety, among other measures.
The department will allocate funds for projects on traffic jam reduction near Tan Son Nhat International Airport and Cat Lai Port, and in the downtown area. Stricter punishment will be imposed on traffic regulation violators and those illegally encroaching sidewalks and roads. Application of technology and promotion of public transport will be prioritised.
Recently, a decision to implement a programme to reduce traffic congestion and accidents by 2020 has been signed by Tran Vinh Tuyen, Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee.
The programme, including 97 projects, costs a total of 96.15 trillion VND (4.12 billion USD), mostly funded by the State, the city, and official development assistance (ODA). Under the programme, the city is expected to put into use 75 kilometres of new roads and 17 bridges in 2019, as well as 81 km of roads and 18 bridges in 2020.
The programme has set a goal of reducing the number of fatalities and injuries caused by traffic accidents by 5 percent by 2020. In the 2018-20 period, the city will focus on developing its public transportation system, which is expected to meet 15 percent of transport needs of residents by 2020.
The city will also expand new public bus routes that connect to new urban areas and industrial parks in the city, and link Tan Son Nhat International Airport with neighbouring provinces. New bus routes to transfer students to schools and universities across the city will be established as well.
The city also expects to complete the use of smart cards for all public buses by 2020.- VNA
VNA
