Director of Hanoi's Department of Planning and Architecture, Le Vinh has told local media on January 5 that people should not blame the rising number of apartment buildings for the traffic jams in the city.
Director of Hanoi's Department of Planning and Architecture Le Vinh.
Vinh said the construction of high-rise buildings are being carried out according to the urban planning and there are numerous causes of traffic jams. He said population growth rate and the number of private vehicles were too high and due to lack of funding, the city was unable to develop infrastructure and relocate the citizens out of heavy congestion zones.
There are opinions that the new high-rise apartment buildings, which are built on land previously used by businesses, are attracting too many large people to the city's centre and causing congestion. What do you think?
That's not totally true. For example, the cigarette, soap and rubber factories in Thanh Xuan District were replaced with residential buildings and schools. According to the urban planning, factories will be converted into urban areas which include houses, schools and the infrastructure.
The prime minister has ordered Hanoi and HCM City authorities to tighten control over high-rise building projects. What is your plan in the future?
Of course, we'll review and keep an eye on the problem. The city people's committee also said we must report back to the prime minister. During the review conference about the department's work on January 4, Hanoi Chairman Nguyen Duc Chung reminded us that a report must be submitted next week.
Will Hanoi continue granting construction permits to new projects during this time?
We must follow our urban plan, everything must follow the approved urban planning. I think.
Will Hanoi re-check unsuitable projects to deal with the current severe congestion?
Yes. As the prime minister has ordered, we must review and re-check the projects for shortcomings. All planning at this time is good but can be adjusted for economic development.
