As the Mid-Autumn Festival approaches, Hanoi authorities are aiming to mitigate the intense traffic that often clogs city streets during public holidays by closing certain roads to vehicles.
From August 30 until September 13, vehicles will be banned from entering Hang Luoc, Hang Ruoi and Hang Chai streets. Certain sections of Hang Ma, Phan Hung and Hang Khoai streets will also be closed off from 7am to 10pm, VnExpress reports.
Traffic will be rerouted to nearby roads, except for those who live on the aforementioned streets, who will be given a special pass granting them access.
While this effort is a short-term solution, it is part of a wider move by Hanoi to reduce traffic in the capital. Last month, authorities proposed setting up tolls on the busiest streets in the city in order to minimize congestion.
Hanoi is notorious for its traffic congestion during rush hour. This is the result of a population of nearly 7.8 million people with seven million vehicles and over two million more coming from other areas.
A plan put forth in 2017 to ban motorbikes and restrict private vehicles from downtown districts by 2030 was revived by the municipal government in March. The proposal also aims to encourage the use of public transport in the city center.
