According to a report that caused shock among the public, Ho Chi Minh City only witnessed two traffic jams lasting over 30 minutes in the first five months of this year.
The information was included in a report sent to the Standing Party Committee by the People's Committee.
Traffic jam on Truong Chinh Street, HCM City
Their data showed that in the period the city’s traffic jams dropped by 21, or 91%, compared to the same period last year, reflecting the results of HCM City’s traffic jam reduction programme for 2011-2015, according to the report.
The report also said that the first traffic jam occurred in the first two months of the year and the second happened early April. The city did not see any congestion during the months of March and May.
The report was the source of disbelief among the public who had been exposed to continuous media coverage of the city's serious traffic problems, particularly in late April and early May.
According to Tuoi Tre Newspaper, on May 3, HCM City’s eastern gateway 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.
Nguoi Lao Dong Newspaper also reported that, on May 10, another traffic jam occurred on a section of National Highway 1A, running through Linh Xuan Ward, Thu Duc District after an accident involving five automobiles. Traffic was backed up for several kilometres.
In addition VnExpress ran a story in mid-March reporting on a couple from Dong Nai Province attempted to take their child to HCM City Children’s Hosptial 2 for emergency aid. However the traffic at Thu Duc T-junction prevented the ambulance from moving, and the child died on the way to the hospital.
The HCM City Department of Transport explained that the only situation which they categorise as a traffic jam is one in which vehicles are unable to move for 30 minutes.
This year, the city's target is to reduce these incidents by 10%. But, at a meeting with the local People’s Committee in March, Deputy PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc asked the city to raise the rate to 30%.