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Hanoinews
Nov 12, 2018 / 17:18

Traffic jam costs Hanoi US$1.2 billion per year: Official

Linh Pham

Traffic jam costs more than one million hours per year in Hanoi and worsens pollution in the downtown, Hai said at the event held by the Swedish Embassy.

Hanoi suffers economic damage worth between US$1 billion and US$1.2 billion per year due to traffic congestion, Director Nguyen Hoang Hai of Hanoi Urban Transport Management and Operation Center (TRAMOC) said at a conference held last week.
 
Director Nguyen Hoang Hai of TRAMOC speaking at the event. Photo: Minh Tuan
Director of TRAMOC Nguyen Hoang Hai speaking at the event. Photo: Minh Tuan
Traffic jam causes loss of more than one million hours per year in the city and worsens pollution in the downtown, Hai cited a study as saying at the event held under the support of the Swedish Embassy in Hanoi.

Currently, Hanoi has 5.5 million of motorbikes and more than 500,000 cars with additional 18,000-22,000 motorbikes and 6,000-8,000 cars registered monthly for circulation amid limited cleared land for road expansion. 
 
Data of vehicles in Hanoi. Photo: Minh Tuan
Data of vehicles in Hanoi. Photo: Minh Tuan
To better the situation, Hanoi is seeking for competent investors to build a smart vehicle-monitoring database as part of the city’s efforts to improve traffic management in line with the socio-economic development, Hai said. 

A database center and traffic camera systems are designed to help monitor the circulation of vehicles and make options for specific situations, Hai added.

He said that bettering management seems to be the most effective way to solve traffic overload, curb traffic congestion, accidents, and pollution in the city with a 7.4-million population. 

Accordingly, he recommended four strategies namely improving management, raising coverage of public transport, upgrading road systems, and building new roads. In the long-term, relocating administrative organizations out of the central parts is also a necessary move, he said. 

Earlier, the government has agreed with Hanoi’s plans on banning motorbicycles in the downtown by 2030 and charging environmental fees for private vehicles entering the inner city. 

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