A large number of road users in Da Nang have always expressed their strong annoyance with the partial traffic congestion along some downtown streets, especially during rush hours. Radically resolving this issue of deep concern, indeed, is a big challenge facing the city.

Traffic congestion usually seen along sections of busy Tran Phu, especially between its intersections with Hung Vuong and Nguyen Van Linh streets, during rush hours

Traffic congestion is one of the most concerning problems in major cities both in developed and developing countries worldwide, including Viet Nam’s Da Nang. Although in Da Nang the problem is not as bad as in Ha Noi and Ho Chi Minh City, it has recently occurred during rush hours at some downtown intersections.

Amongst the city’s traffic gridlock hotspots are some sections of such downtown streets as Tran Phu, Nguyen Thai Hoc, and Yen Bai. During rush hours, a large number of vehicles including cars, tourist coaches, taxis, and motorcycles are caught in traffic gridlock, which sparks anger amongst road users.

Ms Nguyen Thi Thuy An from Hai Chau District, recently complained that she always gets upset for congestion along Tran Phu on the way home from work as it usually takes much time for her to snake through the heavy traffic flows during rush hours.

Apart form a large number of vehicles travelling there, including buses and tourist coaches, taxies usually illegally park along the gridlocked street to pick up and drop off passengers, which makes the congestion worse.

In fact, the congestion nightmare negatively impacts on the daily lives of local citizens. In particular, traffic congestion causes an increase in travel time, fuel consumption costs, gas emissions, and noise pollution, as well as a decline in the quality of the urban living environment. In addition, it restricts the city’s economic growth.

Over recent years, the city has focused on speeding up the development of its transport infrastructure. Nevertheless, since 2015, traffic congestion has been increasing in the city.

One of the main reasons seems to be that there has been a dramatic increase in the number of personal vehicles, plus a rise in the number of tourist coaches.

According to Colonel Le Ngoc, the Head of the Traffic Police Division of the municipal Police Department, between January and June, a total of 5,864 personal cars have been registered for use, up 11% against the same period last year. Currently, a total of more than 870,000 motorcycles are now in use across the city. It is expected that, by 2020, the use of personal vehicles in the city will account for over 90% of the city’s total travel demand. Meanwhile, many over 30-seater tourist coaches also travel to attractions in the city’s inner areas.

In reality, the current pace of infrastructural development might not catch up with the rapid increase in population, and thus in the volume of personal vehicles. Still worse, there is a fact that the city’s current traffic patterns are really complicated and in disorder.

Mr To Van Hung, the Head of the municipal People Council’s Board of Urban Affairs pointed out to the fact that the problem of illegal parking by cars and the upward trend in the number of personal vehicles are totally blamed for partial traffic gridlock.

Mr Nguyen Dang Huy, the Deputy Director of the Transport Department, said the traffic congestion is partly attributed to a current shortage of static traffic systems and a large volume of at-grade junctions.

In his constructive opinions, Colonel Le Ngoc underlined a must-do to construct public parking areas, and viewed this as a radical solution to the arching traffic problem.

Architect Phan Duc Hai, the Chairman of the Urban Development Planning Association, said that, in order to solve the above-mentioned situation, apart from encouraging local residents to use public transport services rather than their own personal vehicles, it is high time to construct even more parking lots and ensure synchronous settlement between transport infrastructure planning and urban refurbishment.

In his point of view, Mr To Van Hung said it is necessary to build a comprehensive traffic system, which a focus on developing means of public transport such as aerial tramways and metro, alongside the raising of public awareness of using public transport services.