As part of the capital’s efforts to reduce traffic jams, private vehicles will face charges for entering congested areas of central districts.
As VietnamNet reports, the government has accepted a proposal submitted Hanoi People’s Committee, meaning the new congestion fees will soon come into effect in the capital.
It is hoped that reducing congestion will reduce emissions and mitigate air pollution. The Hanoi People’s Committee has also been tasked with making a proposal that outlines potential emissions fees for private vehicles in the city.
The Department of Transport has estimated that there will be over six million motorbikes and nearly a million cars on its roads by 2020. Last month, it was estimated that traffic congestion costs Hanoi US$1.2 billion per year.
Hanoi has been trying to find ways to deal with its increasing traffic woes for a number of years now, including introducing bus rapid transit routes and the ongoing development of a metro system. In early 2017 the government even went as far as offering US$200,000 to anyone who could suggest a viable plan to solve the capital's traffic conundrum.
