Former Vietnamese Ambassador to the UK, Vu Quang Minh proposed solutions to curb traffic jams in Hanoi with hope to win the city's VND4bn (USD177,000).
Congestion in Hanoi
Hanoi authorities announced a contest to find the best ideas to solve the city’s traffic problems with prizes amounting to VND6bn (USD266,000). The winner will be awarded VND4bn (USD177,000) and the runner-up will be given VND2bn. The authorities will support over VND500m for other ideas that meet the contest's requirements.
Vu Quang Minh, former Vietnamese Ambassador to the UK has offered his solutions from his experiences in the UK and other countries. According to Minh, in 2013, when the former Minister of Transport Dinh La Thang visited London, he was reported about the London's traffic jams situation and that the city has built a huge plan including causes, short-term, mid-term and long-term solutions.
Minh said Hanoi and HCM City will also need time and comprehensive plan to deal with congestion but there are several measures that the authorities can carry out immediately.
First they must ensure traffic flow on main routes like Nguyen Thai Hoc, Nguyen Chi Thanh, Giang Vo and Doi Can streets. At least during rush hours, the authorities should ban all kinds of vehicles including wedding and funeral cars from parking for more than 15 seconds on the streets.
Parking or dropping off and collecting pupils in front of school gates if the gates are on main routes should definitely be banned. In other countries, parents don't feel like they have to park directly in front of the school and children are capable of walking a few metres to meet their parents, Minh said. Tourist cars must also drop or pick up passengers near popular destinations and traffic near conference centres must be carefully regulated to prevent congestion.
Secondly, public transport must be prioritised. Separate lanes for public transports can be used by other vehicles except during rush hours. In London, vehicles will be fined GBP180 if trespassing on the crossed lines at intersections for over 10 seconds. It doesn't matter why the laws are violated, the drivers' responsibility is to follow the laws and make sure that they won't cause congestion.
According to Minh, when having non-life threatening collisions, drivers need to be calm and exchange numbers for compensation and passers-by must not gather around into a big crowd and deliver judgements like many cases in Vietnam. He suggested fining irresponsible drivers that stop and stare and cause congestion.
One of the task that local authorities can carry out immediately is clearing up the pavements from illegal encroachment. Small house owners should sell their motorbikes and use public transport or find a parking lot for their vehicles. Of course, both public transports and parking lots are problems that the authorities need to solve but Minh said if there were demand, there would be providers.
In many countries, street vendors are allowed the use the pavements during specific timeframes and they must make sure that their businesses don't inconvenience pedestrians. They must register with the authorities and the process must be transparent. If the number of sellers is higher than the allowed slots then they can draw to use the pavement alternately.
In order to effectively implement these measures, Vietnam needs better infrastructure and law enforcement capacity. However, some measures can be carried out immediately and shouldn't be delayed because the authorities need a master plan, he said.
Minh also suggested high fines to violators to improve public awareness about traffic laws and behaviour on the streets. The authorities must install a traffic camera system for the cities and connect it with a traffic violator database. Policy over vehicle's ownership must continue to be carried out.
About the traffic fine notices, Minh said they could learn from London to make people feel more comfortable. Instead of saying that the violators only have two weeks to pay the fine before it is doubled, the notices state that the fine can be reduced by 50% if it is paid within two weeks.
"Traffic police have a tough and important job, so the police deserve a good salary and respect. When they don't have to worry about incomes, they can focus and do their jobs," he said.
