HCM City (VNA) – Ho Chi Minh City’s south-western and north-eastern entry points are always congested and polluted due to the constant flow of vehicles into and out of the city.
During peak hours, fleets of trucks, passenger buses, cars, and motorbikes get caught up in traffic snarls and take more than one hour to travel a few kilometres.
People living there suffer daily from smoke and dust.
They do not even open their doors fearing a vehicle could crash into their house. Bui Vu Thanh, a bus driver, said it is the toughest section to drive on Highway 1 A that links HCM City with the southernmost province of Ca Mau .
It now takes almost an hour to travel from the city’s Western Bus Terminal to the south-western gateway, a trip that used to take just 10 ten minutes, according to the driver.
Local officials attribute the increasing traffic jams and accidents on this section to unfinished construction works on both sides of the road. Digging for fly-overs and water supply and drainage projects are also blamed.
Le Minh Hue , People’s Committee deputy chairman of Binh Chanh District – where the south-western entrance is located- said transport authorities need to speed up construction of the An Lac roundabout in the area, widen Highway 1A, and regulate traffic flow to tackle the peak-hour congestion.
At the north-eastern gateway, where a large number of vehicles come from northern, Central Highlands, central, and eastern regions, the plight is similar.
Traffic jams have occurred for long also due to the sluggish progress of installation of water pipes.
Heavy traffic cause air, dust, and noise pollution in the area, distressing people living in the area.
In neighbouring provinces, the situation is quite different. At the entrance to Dong Nai People’s Bien Hoa Township , the roads are smooth and wide, automobile and truck drivers said.-Enditem
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