Ho Chi Minh City authorities have decided to react against a growing problem of heavy traffic jams: the electronic congestion charge – which aims to reduce traffic in the congested zones of the megalopolis – is the evidence of this.
According to the Communication and Transport Office of Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam), there were 61 cases of traffic jams lasting 30 minutes or more, of which 12 were considered to be "extremely heavy" (4 to 9 consecutive hours) over the first 9 months of the year.
In October 2009, the President of the People’s Committee of Ho Chi Minh City announced "the roll out, on a trial basis for 6 months, of
an electronic congestion charge system in the heavy traffic areas of the town centre ".
The plan, which will only apply during
rush hour, comprises three main elements, installing radio beacons at the major trouble spots, a transponder in vehicles, and a control network with cameras and computers.
But let there be no mistake, the reasons behind this plan are not at all environmental… they’re economic! "Traffic jams have a negative influence on the socio-economic development of the city", explains Lê Hoàng Quân, President of the People’s Committee of Ho Chi Minh City.
Nevertheless, this experiment constitutes a great breakthrough in terms of
reducing greenhouse gas emissions - and a great example for neighbouring megalopolises..
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