Read RFA’s coverage of this topic in Vietnamese
Police have been issuing heavy traffic fines -– infuriating many Vietnamese -– after a government decree allowed for steep penalties for those who run red lights, ride their motorbikes on sidewalks or use cellphones while driving, state media reported.
Decree 168 went into effect with the new year. The crackdown has mostly changed driver behavior for the better, but it has also led to more traffic jams, according to a Hanoi taxi driver.
Some motorists are even stopping when the traffic light is green out of fear that the light will change once they’ve entered an intersection, he said.
“I think the new regulations are correct, but they don’t align with our current infrastructure, leading to serious traffic congestion,” he told Radio Free Asia on condition of anonymity for security reasons.
“Over the past two days, some traffic jams stretched up to 300 meters instead of just 100 meters last year. It takes up a lot of my time,” he said. “If this situation persists, the financial losses for people like me will be significant.”
A Ho Chi Minh City resident told RFA that his work commute has become noticeably longer since Jan. 1.
“Previously, it took me half an hour to get to work by car, but over the past few days, it has taken over an hour,” he said. “I have always followed the law and have never been fined for running a red light.”
Fines for car drivers running red lights, for example, rose from 4 million Vietnamese dong (US$157) to 18 million Vietnamese dong (US$709), while fines for the same offense for motorcyclists went from 1 million Vietnamese dong (US$39) to 4 million Vietnamese dong (US$157).
On Sunday, about 70 people were issued citations for traffic violations in Ho Chi Minh City following Vietnam’s championship win in soccer’s ASEAN Cup. The celebration clogged up the streets for several hours, according to the Saigon Giai Phong newspaper
Unreliable traffic lights
Another complaint from road users over the last week is that unreliable traffic lights have acted as traps, allowing police to issue fines to surprised drivers, according to Nguyen Anh Tuan, who lives in Hanoi.
In one instance, a green light that should have lasted another 35 seconds suddenly turned red without a yellow-light transition, leaving drivers no time to react, he said. At another intersection, all three colors were displayed, making it difficult to decide how to proceed, he said.
Additionally, many street signs in Hanoi remain hidden from view due to overgrown trees while some road markings have faded over the years, leaving many drivers unsure of whether the markings were solid or dotted lines.
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Tuan suggested the government hold off on the new fines until traffic infrastructure has been improved.
A year ago, a crackdown on drunk driving led to a drop in alcohol consumption, emptier streets at night and lower sales at major beer companies.
That was after Ho Chi Minh City deployed stronger than normal traffic police teams near the city’s nightlife areas during the last two months of 2023, VnExpress reported.
Drivers with even trace amounts of alcohol in their blood were charged with driving under the influence, according to several local media outlets. The enforcement effort was based on 2019 laws that mandated zero tolerance for drivers with alcohol in their systems.
Retired military senior official Nguyen Quang Vinh, from Hanoi, said a provision that a driver’s alcohol level be at zero was “excessive” and “inappropriate.”
Translated by Anna Vu. Edited by Matt Reed.