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Unrealistic traffic report baffles HCM City public
  • By Tung Nguyen | dtinews.vn | January 15, 2013 01:01 PM
 >>  HCM City’s traffic jam report shocks public

HCM City saw only two traffic jams lasting over 30 minutes in the first eleven months of 2012, down 92% from the same period of last year, according to one report which bewildered the public.

 

Traffic on Truong Chinh Street in May 2012, not considered congestion 

The information was included in the city’s report to review its socio-economic activities in 2012. 

In June the city released the information that the city witnessed just two traffic jams of more than 30 minutes in the first five months of 2012, which already amazed the public.

The report said that the first traffic jam occurred in the first two months of the year and the second happened early April, and that from then until the end of November, the city had not seen any more congestion.

However, according to Tuoi Tre Newspaper, on May 3, HCM City’s eastern entrance to the city saw a serious traffic jam due to large influx of people coming into the city after Reunification Day (30-4). The traffic jam lasted from 6:45 am to 8:30 am.

On June 30, Dantri, Tuoi Tre and Phap Luat newspapers all reported serious traffic jams on National Highway 1A, on the section running through Binh Chanh District, due to repair work on the Binh Dien Bridge.

Other traffic jams were reported by individual news outlets as well.

The city's target was to reduce traffic jams by 10% from the 31 reported in 2011. But, at a meeting with the local People’s Committee in March, Deputy PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc asked the city to raise the target to 30%.

No new measures to be applied

By the middle of November, 2012, the city had nearly 520,000 registered cars and more than 5.3 million motorbikes. The city also received a large number of vehicles coming from other localities each day.

Meanwhile no large transport works were completed in 2012, particularly in the inner-city area which sees the most traffic. In the year, just some transport projects in the city were completed such as Rach Chiec and Go Dua bridges, but these are not considered strategically significant in mitigating traffic congestion.

Work on a range of key projects such as metro route No. 1 and Saigon Bridge has just started.

In the report, the HCM City People’s Committee said this year the city would tighten control over road repairs and digging, install separation barriers for roads and upgrade intersections. However, none of these plans are new.

The city had planned to put 1,680 more buses into operation between 2011 and 2013 in order to decrease the number of individual vehicles. But to date the project is still waiting approval from authorities.

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