People are struggling with traffic congestion in Hà Nội. — VNA/VNS Photo Huy Hùng

HÀ NỘI — The People’s Council of Hà Nội has set up a team to supervise the compiling and implementing of the law on construction planning in the city from November.

The move came after decision No 72/QĐ-HĐND was recently issued by the council.

The team, led by Nguyễn Thị Bích Ngọc, chairwoman of the council, will monitor activities of the capital People’s Committee, the Planning and Architecture Department as well as the People’s Committee at district and township levels in the city for the period of 2018-19.

The team will consider and evaluate the agencies’ building and implementation of the law in all steps, including making, verifying, approving, implementing, managing and adjusting the construction planning.

Based on the evaluation results, the city will identify solutions to fix shortcomings in implementing the law.

Data from the city showed that the city population increased by 200,000 people each year, equal to 2.5 per cent of the city’s current total population. In the meantime, the land fund for transport infrastructure rises by less than 1 per cent per year.

It results in worse traffic congestion and lack of parking for city residents, online newspaper Dân Việt (Vietnamese People) reported.

Đào Ngọc Nghiêm, vice president of Hà Nội’s Urban Planning Association, said there needs to be close co-ordination between traffic and planning.

However, Hà Nội issued construction planning in April 2011 but didn’t approve the transport planning until March 2016, he said.

“It’s inadequate from the first step, so, now the city has suffered consequences,” he said.

For example, more than 40 high-rise buildings have been constructed in Lê Văn Lương Street since 2011. However, the project to broaden the street has been slowly implemented. Therefore, traffic congestion along the street has become worse, he said. — VNS