Hanoi's top priority is to keep students safe while traveling

Ensuring road safety for students is considered a top, long-term priority to protect and nurture future generations with a culture of civilized driving, Hanoimoi quoted Nguyen Phi Thuong, Director of the city's Department of Transport, as saying.

"Hanoi authorities have taken many strong measures to ensure the safety of students on the road, contributing to the sustainable development of the country," Thuong said.

"Currently, there are 152 schools in Hanoi that are prone to traffic jams and accidents. To reduce traffic incidences among students, the Hanoi Traffic Safety Committee Office has conducted 15 communication programs on traffic law and traffic behavior for more than 28,500 teachers, students, and parents in the city," Thuong said.

During Student Traffic Safety Month, the Hanoi Traffic Police Department held about 150 traffic safety workshops at educational institutions for about 9,700 teachers and 135,000 students. In addition to distributing over 700 helmets and 50 life jackets to students in the city, about 50 volunteer teams were dispatched to control traffic at school gates.

A road safety workshop for Vinh Tuy Primary School students in the 2024-2025 school year. Photo: Hanoimoi

Parents have also signed 1,500 pledges with the police not to allow underage children to drive, while the Safe School Gates model is being strengthened across Hanoi.

These policies and programs are designed to change the perceptions of both parents and students, creating a safe and healthy transportation environment for all.

The Hanoi People's Committee has also approved the Bloomberg Philanthropies Initiative for Global Road Safety Project (BIGRS), which involves international organizations in providing technology, training, and resources to ensure road safety and reduce traffic-related deaths and injuries in Hanoi, especially among students.

BIGRS is a multi-partner effort to reduce road traffic deaths and injuries in low- and middle-income countries, according to Director Nguyen Phi Thuong.

Launched in the US, the $259-million project now in its 12th year aims to help other countries reduce road traffic deaths and injuries through technical assistance and training in the areas of promotion, law enforcement, traffic infrastructure, traffic information, monitoring, and statistics.

Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and Danang are members of a global network of 28 cities in the BIGRS project that are committed to lowering the number of traffic deaths and injuries.

Traffic law communication campaign for students of Vinh Tuy Primary School in Hai Ba Trung District, Hanoi. Photo: Hanoimoi

The Hanoi authorities have set a target of reducing the number of congested roads by seven to ten each year and eliminating accident black spots in time to reduce the accident rate by 5-10% per year (in terms of cases, deaths, and injuries).

The authorities have also identified ten groups of solutions to achieve the targets, including better management of tall buildings and relocation of residents out of urban areas to reduce population density.

In addition, polluting industries, universities, vocational schools, and administrative units will be moved out of downtown Hanoi to free up land for transport.

The Hanoi People's Committee has asked the city's Department of Transportation to work closely with district People's Committees to manage and maintain the city's transport infrastructure. This will enable 180 roads in 12 districts to be upgraded. More than 160 traffic lights will also be installed.

Notably, Hanoi will build an online digital traffic map to assist in the management, operation, and regulation of traffic, and develop a smart parking system to help people find and pay for parking conveniently. 

A motorcycle parade in Hanoi as part of the community road safety campaign. Photo: Huy Pham/The Hanoi Times

Under the plan, the local police will be the lead agency to receive and coordinate information on traffic accidents, manage traffic order and safety, allocate lanes, regulate traffic, and prevent traffic jams.

The Department of Transportation serves as the coordinator for information handling, development of traffic organization plans, and concerted efforts to resolve traffic incidents and implement traffic planning to prevent congestion.

District people's committees are in charge of managing information, addressing traffic-related events, maintaining safety and order on designated routes, and organizing initiatives to address traffic problems inside their jurisdiction.

To maintain a smooth, safe, and convenient flow of traffic, the Hanoi Traffic Police are tasked with proactively deploying personnel and mobilizing vehicles in the event of traffic congestion or incidents. Remote lane assignment plans are also required for vehicles to avoid congested areas.

The Traffic Inspectorate works with the Traffic Police to regulate traffic in places where there are traffic accidents or congestion.

Police in districts, towns, wards, and communes, local authorities, and neighborhood watch groups work together to control traffic, prevent congestion, and manage traffic-related incidents or congestion.

Contractors and construction companies working on road projects are required to provide personnel and vehicles to assist local authorities in resolving traffic problems and congestion at their construction sites.

In 2025, Hanoi continues to set the target of controlling and reducing traffic accidents by 5% or more compared to 2024 in all three criteria (number of accidents, fatalities, and injuries). This includes reducing traffic congestion effectively for convenient commuting of people, especially during the Lunar New Year in 2025.