Hanoi (VNA) - Hanoi's Department of Transport, with support of the Partnership Programme for Healthy Cities (PHC), the Bloomberg Philanthropies Initiative for Global Road Safety (BIGRS) and the municipal People's Committee, has launched a pilot programme to enhance traffic safety around schools.
This pilot programme targets several schools in the districts of Ha Dong, Bac Tu Liem, and Quoc Oai, including Xuan Dinh School cluster in Bac Tu Liem, Nguyen Du Primary School in Ha Dong, and Sai Son School cluster in Quoc Oai. The Global Designing Cities Initiative (GDCI) has provided technical support and expertise in designing the safety measures.
The pilot programme introduces several infrastructure improvements to reduce speeding and enhance safety in school zones. For example, 30 km/h speed limit signs were installed at school gate areas. Raised crosswalks were installed to ensure safe pedestrian crossings. Pedestrian crossings were repaved with white and yellow lines to increase visibility.
In areas lacking sidewalks, walkways were expanded and marked with reflective plastic cones. Parents’ parking areas were re-organised to reduce congestion. Roundabouts and refuge islands were installed at intersections to manage traffic flow and improve pedestrian safety. Dedicated cycling lanes were created to ensure safe routes for students riding bicycles.
In parallel with infrastructure improvements, the municipal Department of Transport has also engaged in extensive communication efforts by announcing the pilot programme through press and media and coordinating with schools to educate teachers and parents on safety measures. The department also involves traffic inspectors and police to manage traffic and guide the public during peak hours.
The programme's initial results, assessed through surveys, pictures, and videos by GDCI, indicated significant improvements in public awareness of the programme in general and traffic safety in particular, laying an important premise for the department to multiply this model across the city./.
