Fearing hefty fines, riders push bikes through intersection in HCMC

The incident occurred around 9 a.m. on National Highway 22 as commuters traveled from Tay Ninh Province toward the An Suong Intersection in HCMC.

A power outage disrupted the traffic signals at the intersection with Giap Hai Street in HCMC’s Cu Chi District.

The red light suddenly shut off without transitioning to yellow, leaving motorists unsure of how to proceed.

As the signal remained off, vehicles began to pile up. Some motorcyclists, fearing hefty fines for jumping the red light under new traffic regulations, got off their bikes and pushed them approximately 50 meters across the intersection to continue their journey.

Under new regulations that took effect on Jan. 1, running a red light carries significantly higher penalties.

Motorcyclists face fines of VND4-6 million (US$157-236), up from the previous VND800,000-1 million. Car drivers face fines of VND18-20 million, along with a three-point deduction from their licenses, more than three times the previous penalty.

“Many motorcyclists pushed their bikes across the intersection out of fear of being fined under the new regulations, while cars remained stuck,” said Minh Thuong, a local resident.

The disruption caused significant congestion, with the traffic jam stretching over 3 kilometers and delaying vehicles for nearly an hour.

The traffic police station responsible for the area confirmed that the malfunction lasted for about 30 minutes due to a power failure.

Police officers were dispatched to direct traffic and maintain order. No fines were issued for red-light violations caused by the malfunction.

Colonel Nguyen Quang Nhat, head of the Propaganda and Investigation Division under the Ministry of Public Security’s Traffic Police Department, reassured the public that officers will not issue fines at intersections where traffic signals are malfunctioning.