A street in HCM City’s District 2. — VNS Photo Gia Lộc

HCM CITY — HCM City hopes to reduce traffic accidents, fatalities and injuries by 5-10 per cent this year, People’s Committee chairman and head of the city Traffic Safety Board, Nguyễn Thành Phong, told a workshop on Wednesday.

Last year, there were more than 3,400 accidents, 641 deaths and 2,400 injuries, all down from 2018.

Speaking at the workshop held to discuss traffic safety and social order in the city, Phong said though the situation has been improving for the last three years, the numbers remain high, and relevant agencies should focus on bringing them down further.

After the Law on Alcohol Harm Prevention and Control took effect on January 1, police around the country are carrying out campaigns against drink-driving.

Alcohol is one of leading causes of road accidents.

According to the National Traffic Safety Committee, the police have fined nearly 1,520 motorbike and car drivers so far.

Nguyễn Ngọc Tường, deputy head of the city Traffic Safety Board, said the board would focus on communication of the law and measures such as use of IT to ensure compliance.

Trần Quang Lâm, director of the Department of Transport, said the department would strengthen collaboration with local authorities to stop public transport buses from picking up passengers illegally and causing traffic congestion during peak hours.

Monitoring traffic works

The HCM City Management Board for Traffic Works Construction and Investment should work more closely with district administrations to monitor the progress of traffic projects, Nguyễn Thiện Nhân, Politburo member and Secretary of the city Party Committee, said in another workshop on Wednesday.

They should focus on land acquisition and compensation payment, he said.

This year, the board should speed up work on projects to ease congestion around Cát Lái Port and Tân Sơn Nhất International Airport, he said.

Work on traffic projects related to the eastern innovative urban area, which is under development, should also be speeded up, he said.

“The city’s population and number of motorbikes on the roads increase by one million every five years, and so the city has to build more streets and bridges.

“Public transport has to be developed.” 

Lương Minh Phúc, the board’s director, said 29 works are planned to be completed this year.

They include expansion of the Y Bridge in districts 5 and 8, a bridge through Kim Cương Island in District 2 and the street leading to the HCM City-Trung Lương expressway in Bình Tân District.

Construction of an embankment to prevent erosion in Nhà Bè District will also be completed this year.

The board will continue working on 70 traffic projects this year, and invite bids for 27 others.

It will also undertake a number of investment promotions and co-operation programmes. — VNS