Lê Phương Thanh was able to reunite with her son after months. — Photo vnexpress.net

HCM CITY — The HCM City Department of Transport received 6,937 applications from individuals between October 2 and 4, requesting permission to travel to other provinces to bring relatives back.

According to the department’s deputy director, Bùi Hoà An, after the city rolled out Directive 18, the department has been considering people’s essential needs for travel outside the city.

The applications for permission to pick up relatives, mostly from  nearby provinces like Bà Rịa - Vũng Tàu, Đồng Nai, Bình Thuận, Bình Dương, and Long An are being sent to sgtvt@tphcm.gov.vn.

As of October 4 the department has responded to 2,590 applications.

An said since the department is not prepared in terms of technology, the task of assessing the applications is mostly handled manually.

“HCM City has sought support from neighbouring provinces to ensure smooth traffic.”

Many of the cases were addressed conveniently through Zalo accounts, he said.

Reunion

Two days after submitting her application, Lê Phương Thanh, 34, of Nhà Bè District was able to reunite with her seven-year-old son after more than four months of separation.

At the end of May, amid a spurt in the incidence of COVID, she had sent him to his grandfather’s house in Phú Mỹ Town in Bà Rịa - Vũng Tàu.

“It took me two days to have my application approved.”

She had to furnish her son’s birth certificate and COVID test result, and the car driver’s green card while applying.

Thanh’s is among nearly 2,600 cases successfully handled by the department so far.

Hoàng Xuân Minh, 51, of District 10, directly submitted his application at the Department of Transport’s office for permission to pick up his sons from Xuyên Mộc District in Bà Rịa - Vũng Tàu.

“I miss them very much. It has been four months apart and I would like to pick them up as soon as possible.”

He is waiting for confirmation from the department.

After being approved by the department, locals need to print out their letter or carry an electronic version on their mobile devices to travel across borders.

They cannot use motorbikes, and can only travel by train, planes or personal car. — VNS