Traffic jam is very likely to occur in areas surrounding Tan Son Nhat International Airport at this weekend as Tet holidaymakers have started streaming back to HCMC to resume study and work.
On February 1 (the fifth day of the lunar new year), Sai Gon Giai Phong Newspaper recorded lot of people returning to HCMC, Binh Duong and Dong Nai provinces, crowding highways in the central region, Central Highlands, the Mekong Delta of Vietnam.
Streets near the airport including Tran Quoc Hoan, Hoang Van Thu and Nguyen Van Troi saw a slight increase of vehicles to the airport. Traffic density was far lower than normal weekends.
A traffic police official who was on duty in Cong Hoa street, Tan Binh said that the volume of vehicles circulating surrounding Tan Son Nhat on the afternoon of February 1 was not high however, traffic jam was forecast to occur at this weekend.
The southern region representative of Airports Corporation of Vietnam reported that passenger output was estimated to hit nine million at 21 airports under the corporation from January 20-February 10. Of the total, Tan Son Nhat transported 2.5 million passengers.
At 6 p.m on February 1, entrance spots to HCMC were crowded but traffic jam did not occur. This might be because the regulation that all civil servants must resume working on the following day falling on midweek, so many people have lasted their Tet leaves until the end of the week. Aside from that, most universities have permitted their students to be on holidays until February 5.
According to deputy director of the HCMC Department of Transport Le Hoang Minh, there is no province asking HCMC to assist vehicles to take citizens back to the city as they did in previous year. Their vehicles were sufficient to meet demand.
Mien Dong Coach Station leader said that the number of passengers was estimated to reach 31,000 late last night, up 63 percent over normal. They were mainly from Dak Lak, Gia Lai, Binh Phuoc provinces and Phan Thiet city.
Mien Tay Coach Station leader said that passengers from the Mekong Delta approximated 38,000, an increase of 44 percent over normal.
National Highway 1A from the delta to the city was congested at some spots mainly by motorbikes. They were found following each other and moving slowly in the route in Binh Chanh district. The worst congested spot was Rach Mieu bridge, Ben Tre province.
In the Southern Central province of Binh Thuan, most coaches were full of people but still picked up more at the price of VND200,000 a person who had to stand or seat on the floor board.
Cat Lai Ferry, District 2, HCMC saw many people from Dong Nai and Ba Ria-Vung Tau provinces travel to HCMC but they did not have to long queue to take the ferry.
