Hanoi (VNA) –Traffic jam continue to be a big issue for Hanoi despite heavy investment intransport infrastructure in the city. The problem was the focus of a workshopheld in Hanoi on October 24.

At the event, Deputy Director ofthe city’s Transport Department Ngo Manh Tuan listed the many projects undertakenby Hanoi authorities in the recent past to ease traffic jams in the city,including 8 flyovers at key intersections and three belt roads.

The city is also investing inradial roads towards step by step completing the transport infrastructure network.

The Transport Ministry and thecity are joining hands in carrying out several urban railway projects, such asthe Cat Linh-Ha Dong (Route 2A) and the Nhon-Hanoi Station (Route 3) routes.Preparations are underway for the implementation of the railway routes No. 4and 5, and the extension of Route 2 and 3.  

In addition, a number of bigbridges around the city have been completed, for example the Nhat Tan acrossthe Red River, the Dong Tru spanning Duong River and most recently the Van Langconnecting Hanoi and adjacent Phu Tho province across the Red River.

“Those projects have contributedconsiderably to reducing traffic jams inside the city, and Hanoi will continueto push ahead with projects under its master plan on transport infrastructuredevelopment, so as to increase connectivity and ease pressure on belt andradial roads,” said Tuan.

In parallel with investment ininfrastructure, the city is implementing other measures to tackle traffic jams,one of which is to increase the quantity of public transport means such asbuses and quality of public transport service to attract more commuters. Theorganisation of traffic flows is constantly reviewed to timely adjust trafficcontrol at “hot spot” of traffic jams.

At the same time, communicationsactivities along with frequent patrol and stricter punishment are being steppedup to enhance road users’ compliance with traffic rules.

The serious consequences oftraffic jams were the concern of many participants at the workshop.

According to Pham Hoai Chung,director of the urban and suburban transport centre under the Institute of TransportStrategy and Development, traffic jam has great socio-economic impacts. He saidsome research projects have shown the problem caused losses of between 1-1.2billion USD each year to Hanoi.

He said more than 1 millionworking hours each year are wasted due to traffic congestion, while residents’health is threatened by air pollution. Traffic problems also affect theinvestment environment and other fields of social development.

Deputy head of the TrafficPolice Section under Hanoi Public Security Department Nguyen Manh Hung saidHanoi’s transport infrastructure is overloaded, with some works operating atsix to seven times of capacity. Moreover, the actual percentage of landdesignated for transport use in the country is only 8.65 percent of the total landarea, while the percentage stipulated by law is 16-26 percent in urban areas,he said, adding that the rates in developed countries range from 20-25 percent.

Therefore, overloading isinevitable, he said.

Hung pointed to other importancecauses of transport congestion which is the high density of high-rise apartmentbuildings in some areas and the rapid increase in the number of private transportmeans.

Dr Tran Huu Minh, deputy chiefof the National Committee for Transport Safety, said the city is in urgent needof safe, environmentally-friendly and convenient public transport means.  

Deputy director of HanoiTransport Department Ngo Manh Tuan reported that his department has beenapplying information technology in traffic management. A smart traffic controlcentre has been established to regulate traffic flow and timely addresscongestions.

He informed that the city isaccelerating the implementation of the Government’s policy to relocate offices,schools and a number of hospitals from the inner city of Hanoi.  

Mentioning a proposal oncollecting fees for private transport means when entering the inner city, Tuansaid the department has submitted its scheme on how to carry out the mechanism.The scheme, which by now has been submitted to the Prime Minister for guidance,includes imposing road fees on vehicles in areas with high traffic flow.-VNA