Packs of parents, idling on motorbikes, waiting for their children to finish their school days, are a common sight in cities across Vietnam. Hundreds of parents jockey for position, yelling and waving to their children, often blocking the sidewalk and street. To make matters worse, the end of the school day often coincides with rush hour, creating traffic jams. To address this problem, HCMC authorities will begin to fine parents as opposed to giving ineffective warnings.

In addition to fining individual parents, the Department of Education and Training has threatened to revoke the license of any language center that is unable to enforce these rules.

Nguyen Huu Tin, vice chairman of the HCMC People’s Committee, said that schools and education centers should direct parents to nearby parking lots.

However, Nguyen Thi Thanh Hang, principal of Cau Kieu Middle School, located in Phu Nhuan District, fears that parking lots are an unrealistic solution to the problem since they are not always nearby. Additionally, she said that busy parents would be unwilling to park their bikes and walk to the school.

Hanoi, facing a similar problem 2 years ago, took another approach to the issue, adjusting the hours of the school day to avoid rush hour.

The parent-induced traffic is clearly an issue in Saigon but, unfortunately, there don’t seem to be any easy solutions (other than helicopters. Would probably change the color scheme though...).

[Tuoi Tre]