The 31-year-old lives in Nam Tu Liem District and commutes 11 kilometers to her workplace in Hai Ba Trung District. She used to take around an hour each way, “crawling through 16 red lights” and occasionally riding on the sidewalk to make it to her office by 8 a.m.
However, since Jan. 1, after Decree 168 went into effect with increased fines of VND4-6 million (US$158-236) for motorcyclists violating traffic rules, her commute has increased to two hours each way. At some jam-packed intersections, she now has to wait for a third green light to pass.
“No one dares to run yellow lights or sneak through a red light anymore, and riding on sidewalks is also out of the question,” Ngoc says. “Getting fined VND5 million is equivalent to half a month’s salary, so I’m willing to wait longer if needed. Everyone moves slowly, so congestion only gets worse.”
To avoid being late, Ngoc now leaves home 30 minutes earlier in the morning. In the evenings rush hour delays mean she does not return home until after 8 p.m. Her three-year-old daughter has to be picked up by a hired help and taken to a neighbor’s house for dinner.
Her husband Nguyen Hieu, 35, a ride-hailing taxi driver, has also felt the effects of the congestion on his livelihood. Before Jan. 1 he could make around 10 trips a day. After the new regime took effect, he has only managed a little over half that number, and his income has taken a big hit.
He says: “The roads are now congested all day long. Moving even a few meters takes forever and wastes so much fuel.”
Hanoi traffic at a red light on Jan. 2, 2025. Photo by Read/Giang Huy |
Lieutenant Colonel Pham Van Chien, head of Hanoi’s Traffic Police Unit No. 6, says since Decree 168 came into effect drivers have been stopping at red lights properly and avoiding encroaching on other lanes and sidewalks.
As a result vehicles now line up longer at intersections. In the past some drivers would rush to the front, blocking others and causing chaos.
The gridlock has been worsened by a surge of vehicles coming into Hanoi from nearby provinces for the upcoming Lunar New Year, which has increased traffic density and lengthened red-light waits.
“Rush hour now extends beyond mornings and evenings to include midday,” Chien says.
The situation is no better in HCMC.
On the morning of Jan. 10 Hoang Long, 30, an office worker living in District 8, spent nearly 30 minutes riding through congestion to reach his office in District 7. “I was anxious the entire way, worried I wouldn’t make it on time,” he says.
After the new decree came into effect, Long has not been turning right at red lights, fearful of the hefty fines. “Better to be late for work than lose nearly half a month’s salary,” he says.
He plans now to leave for work 15-20 minutes earlier to ensure he makes it in time.
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Traffic on HCMC's Truong Chinh Street on Jan. 9, 2025. Photo by Read/Quynh Tran |
An official from the city Department of Transport said on Jan. 10 that Decree 168 has improved road users’ compliance with traffic laws, significantly reducing violations such as running red lights and making illegal turns. However, the large number of vehicles in the city coupled with narrow roads has led to prolonged waits at traffic signals.
Urban traffic expert Nguyen Xuan Thuy says congestion in major cities like Hanoi and HCMC is unavoidable due to the rapid increase in vehicle numbers coupled with infrastructure that lags far behind requirement.
HCMC now has over 9.5 million registered vehicles, including more than one million cars, while more enter it daily from neighboring areas.
The city’s road density, or the ratio of road length to land area, is just 2.44 kilometers per square kilometer, far below the standard of 10-13 kilometers. Overburdened infrastructure remains an intractable problem.
Hanoi faces similar challenges. The city has over eight million vehicles, including 1.1 million cars, 6.7 million motorbikes and 200,000 electric bikes, and another 1.2 million coming from other provinces.
Only 12-13% of its land area is allocated for transportation, far below the standard 20-26%.
To improve the situation, traffic expert Thuy says authorities need to upgrade infrastructure, widening roads and improving public transport to meet the public’s needs. He also emphasizes the need to limit high-density residential developments in the city center and develop satellite cities to disperse the population.
For Ngoc and her husband, the immediate solution is to leave home earlier and return later to avoid peak congestion. Their child will stay with her grandparents in northern Phu Tho Province until after Tet, the Lunar New Year celebration. The 2025 Tet holiday in Vietnam will span nine days, from Jan. 25 to Feb. 2, including two weekends.
“This is only a temporary solution,” Ngoc says. “If the congestion persists, we might have to move closer to work or find someone to care for our daughter in the evenings since we are always home late.”
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