Heavy traffic on Hoàng Văn Thụ Street near Tân Sơn Nhất International Airport in HCM City’s Tân Bình District at rush hour. — VNS Photo Nguyễn Diệp

HCM CITY — An action plan from December 30 to February 19 will ensure traffic safety and reduce congestion at traffic hotspots in HCM City before, during and after the Tết (Lunar New Year) holiday.

The municipal People’s Committee has issued the plan in combination with COVID-19 pandemic prevention for the peak Tết holiday and spring festival 2021 season.

Measures will be taken to ease traffic flow at the airport as well as seaports, railway stations and bus stations during the holiday period.

The committee has asked the police department to direct functional forces, in coordination with inspectors of the Transport Department, to strengthen traffic control at main roads and high-risk hotspots for congestion and accidents, and promptly handle any situation.

The action plan aims to prevent prolonged congestion at traffic hotspots, such as streets leading to Tân Sơn Nhất international Airport in Tân Bình District; Cát Lái Port in District 2; inter-provincial bus stations; An Sương Intersection between District 12 and Hóc Môn District; Phú Hữu Roundabout in District 9; sections of National Highway No 1A near Suối Tiên Theme Park in District 9 and Bình Chánh District; and the HCM City - Long Thành - Dầu Giây Expressway.

The transport department will work with the police department to regularly patrol, inspect and strictly handle violations of passenger transport services. These include carrying more than the permitted number of passengers, parking or picking up and dropping off passengers at the wrong places, and travelling in the wrong direction.

It will check automated non-stop toll collections at build-operate-transfer (BOT) road toll stations, and order BOT investors to suspend collection of toll charges if congestion occurs at their toll stations.

Regulating traffic flow will be also enhanced at the city’s gateways, areas around festivals, roads with high traffic volume, and main routes that connect with key traffic hubs. — VNS