BackStories » Vietnam » [Photos/Video] Vietnam Roads Turn Into Holiday Hellscape

[Photos/Video] Vietnam Roads Turn Into Holiday Hellscape

Now that we're all back to work, checking our Facebook feeds and Instagrams from our desks after a sunny, long weekend of checking our Facebook feeds and Instagrams at the beach, let's complain about the traffic.

Last Saturday, as scores of Saigonese left the city, Highway 1 was at a standstill, according to VnExpress, packed bumper-to-bumper with motorbikes, buses and cars hoping to escape the southern hub for the holiday.

By 4pm, congestion on the country's main highway had reached a staggering level, resulting in kilometers-long queues. On bridges and at ferry gates, vehicles idled in the nearly 40-degree heat as impatient drivers began to honk in hopes of urging their fellow motorists onward.

Over the four-day weekend, the National Traffic Safety Committee reported a total of 111 fatalities on the country's congested roads, according to Zing.

At one traffic checkpoint, police on Hanoi's Phap Van – Cau Gie Expressway pulled over a 29-seater bus to find the vehicle packed with 93 people. The driver's license was revoked for 30 days and the company fined VND24 million for overloading.

Thank goodness we're just back to the usual traffic nightmare and not the holiday version.

[Photos via VnExpress]


Related Articles:

[Photos] Saigon's 3km Traffic Jam From Hell Lasts 7 Hours

There Are No Traffic Jams in Saigon: Department of Transport Director

Report: 9,000 People Died in Traffic Accidents This Year


Related Articles

in Vietnam

$14 Million Approved For Restoration Of Hanoi’s 112-Year-Old Long Biên Bridge

The fate of one of Vietnam’s most beloved and storied structures took another positive turn last week when the government approved a $14 million restoration package for Long Biên Bridge.

in Vietnam

'Amazing Race Vietnam' Apologizes for Challenge Harming Coral Reef

An underwater challenge during this year’s installment of The Amazing Race Vietnam is not sitting well with environmentalists.

in Vietnam

'Engaging With Vietnam' Conference Ruminates on Heritage in Huế

“Living with Heritage, (Re)Creating Heritage: Vietnam and the World” is the title of the 14th Engaging with Vietnam conference, a series of activities including academic panel discussions, keynote tal...

in Vietnam

1.2m Vietnamese Move to Cities a Year: Report

Up to 1.2 million Vietnamese migrate to cities each year, according to a recent report.

in Vietnam

10 Killed, Over 30 Missing in Central and Northern Vietnam as Storm Son-Tinh Brings Flash Floods

Heavy rains from storm Son-Tinh, which eventually weakened to a tropical depression, have caused flash floods and fatalities in central Vietnam.

in Vietnam

104-Year-Old Great-Great Grandmother Fights Off Robber

Taking advantage of the elderly will inevitably result in some bad karma, a lesson a Dong Nai man quickly learned after attempting to rob Vo Thi Bai, a 104-year-old woman.

Partner Content