Traffic Problems in Saigon City
Traffic jams and accidents occur frequently in Saigon. For many reasons, mostly due to a lack of local people’s self-awareness and responsibility, these situations keep getting worse.
The jamming routine
Every single day during school and work hours, from 6:30 to 8:00 a.m., the roads are filled with vehicles. Cars and buses queue up in long lines while motorbikes scramble on the pavement, followed by the aching noise of car horns and toxic, dusty smoke.
But all of this is nothing compared to Saigon at night. From 5:00 to 7:00 p.m., when people heading home meet those going out, the jams get thicker and last longer, especially when there are events or holidays. Last year, on January 23, 2018, I was so “lucky” as to get stuck in a parade of cars and scooters celebrating the winning of Vietnam Team in U23 Championship as the Second Place. It was fun, I would say, but tiring also.
The problem seems to be out of control. Usually only those main big routes get jammed but recently, traffic congestion has started happening on small, narrow streets. And the jamming schedule adjusts a little bit too, from only during rush hours to almost every hour.
What is really going on?
“Every day is the same. Just breathing in the smoke makes me full, no need further meals,” said Mrs. Quyen (43 years old), a seller on Su Van Hanh Street, District 5. She is used to the jams as she has been selling stuffs (snacks, cigarattes, soft drinks…) in this area for over 10 years. She joked: “If one day the traffic jam disappears, I will miss it a lot.”
Red light runners
Another thing that makes Saigon traffic more terrible is “running the red light.” During my ride to my friend’s place on Dien Bien Phu Street, District 3, I was almost swept away by the flood of motorbikes coming from behind. Like a race to the finish line, people rapidly shifted gears to speed up in order to “save” 1 or 2 last seconds of the green light. Seeing me slow down to stop the red light, some people gazed at me as if I was doing the wrong thing, like “stopping the red light is not what we do here, kid.”
There are many campaigns on safe riding and driving, including “Fast a sec, cost a life” but, seemingly, not all of us pay full attention. We accidentally put ourselves in danger with our thoughts of “this is the last time I cross the red light,” “If people can do, why can’t I?” or “I can make it” … Having faith in every aspect is good but not in traffic. Only safety comes first as it is a matter of life and death.
Mr. Tan (52 years old), a pharmacist on Dien Bien Phu Street, could not keep himself from shaking when telling me about the accidents he has witnessed. “Some guys just got scratches or their bikes broken. The worst is death.” The most unforgettable case was a young man who tried to run the red light and got hit by a car. “It knocked him out meters away, people took him to the hospital but he lost too much blood. That was so terrific!” he remembered.
Other bad habits
One day, on my way to the university, there was an accident on Dien Bien Phu at the Cao Thang crossroad. A KIA suddenly stopped and a woman could not avoid it in time. Her Lead hit the KIA. And then came what always happened: an argument bursted out. Their fight delayed the whole traffic flow. Other passengers stopped to watch them. Some tried to make peace but they were ignored. Only when police showed up did they stop quarreling.
Self-discipline and self-consciousness are what must be taken into consideration. If they just kept their head cool and figured things out together, the problem would not go that far. Plus, both of them are wrong so there was no point in blaming who was at fault.
In addition, going against traffic makes Saigon traffic even more chaotic. Just because it is faster and nearer, people choose to take the “shortcut” without caring about what their action may lead to. This has contributed to the delay time of the traffic jams and may possibly cause accidents. The no-against-direction sign stands still like a scarecrow, it is not very effective.
Possible solutions
Saigon City has spent over thousands of billion Vietnam Dong building flyovers and enlarging roads in order to ease traffic. They also invest in land expansion and encourage people to move to sparser areas to reduce the impact on the crowded city. The key point lies in our thoughts. We should think bigger and think for others. Only by that, can traffic jams be lessened.
With all the possible solutions recommended, without a self-conscious and collaborative spirit, nothing is going to work. People should be aware and responsible for their actions. They must have a deep understanding and a good training before using vehicles to build a strong and healthy community. It is time we start to treasure our lives and others. Don’t let a second waste your whole life.
