Illustrative image (Photo: VNA)
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The plan has got in-principle nod and is expected to be officially approved in the third quarter of this year, according to an official of the municipal Transport Department.
The plan identifies streets and areas at high risk of congestion where restrictions on vehicles will be imposed. Vehicles entering those areas will be subject to toll fee payment.
Under the plan, the area from beltway 3, southwest of Hanoi, turning inwards to the city center is the first area where toll fees will be imposed on entering cars.
The fees will be paid via automatic toll gates, so vehicles do not have to stop. Vehicle owners will be required to open a bank account to pay toll fees and fines for their violations of traffic rules.
The city will build automatic toll booths and consider issuing regulations on installation of electronic toll collection devices for all cars in the city.
With a population of about 7.5 million, the city currently has more than six million private vehicles, including 739,731 cars and over 5.76 million motorcycles.
The number of these private vehicles takes up 85.8% of the city’s road. In particular, cars account for only 14.38% of the vehicles but occupy 42.18% of the road surface.
Experts said that without effective control of private vehicle growth, Hanoi’s infrastructure will be seriously overloaded by 2030.
The municipal Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs Department has proposed a plan to adjust the working time and schooling time to reduce traffic in peak hours. But the municipal administration has asked the Department to work with related departments to further study and finalize this plan for submission later.
Vnexpress / VNP
