Large number of workers return to Ho Chi Minh City after Tet holiday

SGGP 17/02/2021 11:47

As of February 16 (the fifth day of the first lunar month), hundred thousands of people from the Mekong Delta provinces and cities returned to Ho Chi Minh City for resuming work after Tet holiday, triggering traffic congestion in some places through Ben Tre and Tien Giang provinces.

Large number of workers return to Ho Chi Minh City after Tet holiday

According to the reporter of Sai Gon Giai Phong (SGGP) Newspaper, a large number of vehicles from the Southern provinces to Ho Chi Minh City lined up on Rach Mieu Bridge, resulting in severe traffic jam at Rach Mieu Bridge BOT toll collection station and leading to temporarily opening all toll collection gates to ease the traffic overload.

Deputy Director of Rach Mieu Bridge BOT Co., Ltd Mr. Ha Ngoc Nam said that around 22,000- 23,000 vehicles have travelled through the Rach Mieu Bridge a day, of which, the volume of vehicles to Ho Chi Minh City accounts for more than a half. Additionally, the huge number of motorcycles caused the bottleneck.

All toll collection gates at Rach Mieu Bridge BOT toll collection station have to be temporarily opening to ease the traffic overload on peak days.

In the fourth day of the first lunar month, a huge number of vehicles congested along routes connecting Ben Tre and Tien Giang, leading to temporarily suspension of electronic toll collection at the station for five times and blocking all vehicles one-way road from Tien Giang Province to alleviate the gridlock.

Vehicles from the Southern provinces to Ho Chi Minh City line up on Rach Mieu Bridge

At the bus stations of Ho Chi Minh City, many people from other provinces and cities flocked to Ho Chi Minh City, causing crowded vehicles in the gateways to the city on peak days.

In particular, as from the early morning of February 16, passenger buses from the Northern, Central and Central Highlands regions to Mien Dong (Eastern) Bus Station have been crowded.

Vice Director of Mien Dong (Eastern) Bus Station Mr. Do Phu Dat said that in order to response to the Covid-19 pandemic, especially to monitor passengers returning to HCMC from pandemic-hit localities after Tet holiday, the bus station in coordination with the Center for Disease Control and Prevention in HCMC, medical centers of Binh Thanh District and Thu Duc City to ask returnees to HCMC have to perform health declaration as well as quarantine or medical supervision for each case based on medical declaration.

As for Mien Tay (Western) Bus Station, returners to Ho Chi Minh City have been deserted in recent days. It is expected that the bus station would receive around 30,000 people on Wednesday morning, a decrease of 30 percent to 40 percent over the same period of previous years.

At the same time, passengers running through the Sai Gon Railway Station have been reduced due to an impact of the current complicated Covid-19 pandemic situation.

Yesterday, there were only six trains carrying 1,200 passengers returning to the city through Sai Gon Railway Station.

Over previous years, passengers travelling through Cat Lai Ferry Station were also humble.

Despite of crowded vehicles, traffic congestion did not occur at intersection of Do Xuan Hop to An Phu on Ho Chi Minh City- Long Thanh- Dau Giay Expressway.

By staff writer- Translated by Huyen Huong