The Clean Technology Fund (CTF) has granted Ho Chi Minh City US$25,000,000 to reduce traffic pollution, the HCMC Steering Committee for Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation said April 22.
The steering committee said that it would use the funds soon for projects to expand public transportation and limit using personal vehicle use in the city.
According to the HCMC Environment Protection Agency, 89 percent of the results obtained at six air quality observation stations in the city showed that the air quality tested was below standards, with dust and noise pollution as the most severe problems.
The highest air pollution levels were found at the An Suong Crossroads, the Go Vap 6-Way Junction and the intersection of Dinh Tien Hoang and Dien Bien Phu streets, said the agency.
Poor infrastructure, traffic jams and the concentration of trucks at these areas had led to the high levels of pollution, analysts said.
HCMC is now home to four million motorcycles and one million cars.
