Hanoi plans to invest more than VND1.2 trillion (US$66 million) in reducing traffic jams and accidents during the 2011-15 period.
The five-year project is expected to help ensure improved traffic flow and reduce the number of traffic accidents and fatalities by 7 per cent from previous years.
There were 1,207 traffic accidents in Hanoi in 2009 accounting for 865 deaths, a drop of 1.1 per cent and 0.35 per cent in the number of traffic accidents and fatalities, respectively, according to a report from the Hanoi Traffic Police.
Of the total investment capital, which is expected to come from Official Development Assistance, the State budget, traffic violation punishment funds and other sources, more than VND440 billion ($23.3 million) will be used to develop traffic infrastructure within the city.
It will focus on upgrading 75 black spots which often suffer from serious traffic congestion, and 117 sites where severe accidents often take place, while upgrading facilities for pedestrians and developing public transport infrastructure.
These hot spots include sections in Pham Van Dong, Hoang Hoa Tham and Thuy Khue in the west of Hanoi and Minh Khai, Linh Nam and De La Thanh streets in southeastern of the city.
The money will also be invested in installing speed limitation signs and warning equipment; expanding roads, particularly at dangerous junctions and building pedestrian bridges.
Meanwhile, over VND385 billion ($20.4 million) will be used for traffic organisation and management as part of the project.
The remaining capital will be used for training and information, focusing on modernising human resources, improving the capacity of traffic control forces and raising public awareness.
The project is scheduled to be submitted to the municipal People's Committee for approval this month.
Transport experts agreed that a rapid increase in vehicles coupled with bad urban planning are the major reasons for traffic jams and accidents.
Obstacles
Chief inspector of the municipal transport department Thach Nhu Sy said a rapid increase in apartment buildings has drawn a large number of people from other provinces to the city.
"However, investment in building infrastructure such as roads, water drainage systems and electricity supplies is limited, straining Hanoi's traffic network," he said.
He admitted that the city's traffic infrastructure had failed to keep up with the increased traffic and growth in urban areas.
Recent measures to prevent traffic congestion and accidents for the capital city had proved effective in reducing traffic jams, but they failed to solve the problem during festivals, holidays and rush hours, Sy added.
Nguyen Huu Duc, an expert from the Japan International Co-operation Agency (JICA) who jointly helped prepare the plan, said that some previous traffic projects that targeted traffic jams and accidents were not really successful.
"Narrow roads and a rapid increase of traffic vehicles, combined with poor road-planning are the main reasons," he said.
"Vehicle drivers are also responsible for the problem. They are not really used to a traffic safety culture," Duc added.
Takagi Michimasa, a traffic safety expert from JICA, added that an outdated signal system was also to blame for the problem.
The traffic system should be computerised to help traffic police work better, he suggested.
Another reason was the mentality of road-users, he said. "Everyone wants to go first and many people often break traffic rules as they are just not patient enough; such as ignoring parking prohibiting regulations or traffic lights, and as a result, congestions happen."
The problem requires long-term plans, strategies and comprehensive implementation of all measures, he stressed.
"Firstly, it is essential to raise public awareness through education to promote a traffic safety culture," he said.
"A traffic safety culture means changing people's behaviour, to make them get used to the existing traffic situation so that people can better understand and follow traffic rules," he explained.
"The campaigns organised by municipal authorities need to encourage people to be patient while travelling for the sake of not only themselves, but their families and society," he said.
Increasing fines or parking fees was also considered an effective measure to educate people to follow traffic regulations.
"Developing the road network and public transport system, improving intersection, installing traffic lights and building parking facilities are also necessary," he said.
Authorities should also co-ordinate with urban developers in tackling the problem, he said, adding that when high-rise buildings are built in the city, investment should be poured in building traffic infrastructure such as parking areas and roads, he said.
The project has been developed by the municipal Department of Transport, Hanoi Traffic Police and Hanoi Popularisation and Education Committee with assistance from JICA expert team.