Nhan Dan - Hanoi should take drastic measures to ensure traffic safety and prevent traffic jams, said Politburo member and Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc.
The Deputy PM, who is also Chairman of the National Committee for Traffic Safety, made this request at a working session with the Hanoi Municipal People’s Committee and relevant agencies in Hanoi on February 21.
The session was also attended by Party Central Committee (PCC) member and Chairman of the Hanoi Municipal People’s Committee Nguyen The Thao, and PCC member, Minister of Transport Dinh La Thang.
Since the beginning of this year, Hanoi has implemented a number of measures to ensure traffic order and safety, and reduce traffic congestion including allocating specific lanes for each type of vehicle in all city streets; adjusting work, study and business hours in 12 districts; revoking the business licenses of parking lots that caused traffic congestion in 262 main streets; and building flyovers in some key intersections. As a result, the traffic situation, especially during rush hours, has initially been improved.
Hanoi has also set key targets for 2012 to ensure traffic safety by reducing the number of accidents, accident-related deaths and casualties by a minimum of 20%, decreasing traffic jams by 30% and eliminating 70% of the traffic accident hot spots.
Speaking at the session, Deputy PM Phuc praised Hanoi’s efforts to control traffic in the past, adding that the capital should continue with more drastic measures to ease traffic congestion. The Deputy PM also stressed that the capital should focus on mobilising all available resources for developing infrastructure and reorganising public traffic systems.
Deputy PM Phuc also agreed with the proposals by a number of delegates to increase fines for law-breakers in order to raise public awareness of complying with the traffic laws; increase fees for personal means of transport to limit the number of vehicles on the road; and reinvest more revenue in traffic related infrastructure.