New odd/even traffic plan infeasible: lawmakers

Lawmakers criticized a new proposal to restrict the number of cars in Ho Chi Minh City’s downtown area by denying entry to cars with odd (even) numbers in the registration plates on specific days during a People’s Council session.
The proposal, made by the local transportation department, aims to reduce traffic jams as well as pollution from exhaust fumes.
During the 12th session of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Council, deputy Nguyen Minh Huong was quoted by VnExpress as saying that such a proposal is not suitable considering the current situation.
It is illogical to ask people to replace cars with motorcycles or bicycles when they do possess cars, she said.
The proposal is meant to reduce traffic jams in inner city but many routes are clogged due to rains and waterlogged streets, not because of the number of cars, she explained.
Some developed countries have this odd/even mechanism in place because they have well developed infrastructure with spacious parking lots in downtown areas.
To prevent traffic congestions, the city needs more public buses, she told the Council session.
Buses must be clean and safe so as to attract passengers.
Deputy Nguyen Minh Quang meanwhile suggested implementing the proposal on a trial basis on certain restricted areas only as a short term solution.
“In the long term, the city must resort to public transportation means like buses or a subway system”.
He said the proposal is infeasible as there are nearly 500,000 cars in the city.
Collecting toll fees for cars entering inner city areas is a good method and has been successfully applied in Singapore and the UK but it needs an advanced fee collection technology.
He said he is calling for advertisement placements on public buses so that they have more money for renovation.
It would backfire
According to deputy Vo Van Sen, the proposal would lead to rich people buying more cars so as to possess both odd-numbered and even-numbered plates because that means they would be able to enter downtown city on any day.
It could result in fake registration plates and bribery.
“This is an infeasible proposal”, Sen concluded.
Controversial proposal

Under the proposal announced at a recent meeting on finding solutions to traffic problems, all cars will be allowed to enter the downtown area on Sunday, while cars with “even” number plates can do so on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and others on Tuesday, Thursday, and Wednesday.

The department suggested that the last digit in a car's number plate be used to designate even and odd numbered vehicles.

Accordingly, cars with number plates ending with 1,3,5,7, and 9 will be classified as “odd” and the others will be “even.”

The proposed regulation will only target personal cars, the department said.

Dr. Phung Manh Tien of the Institute of Transport Science and Technology’s southern branch, was earlier quoted by Thanh Nien as saying that it would not be possible for traffic officers to keep their eyes on each car’s number plate to detect and fine violators in accordance with the “odd-even” regulation.

In the absence of automatic systems allowing not-in-real-time punishments, traffic cops would have to stop violating cars for fining them, causing worse traffic chaos when a large number of vehicles are using the roads, he said.

Furthermore, car drivers will likely turn to other districts on the prohibited days, like districts 5, 10, Binh Thanh, and Phu Nhuan, which already suffer from critical traffic jams.
Worse still, they may buy old cars which already have number plates to choose the ones they need, so in the end, neither the number of cars nor the amount of exhaust fumes will decrease, he said.
Tien also said the proposed regulation could generate disputes over the border between suburban and central areas which is very “thin” and vague.

Violations of right to personal properties?

Lawyer Bui Quang Nghiem, vice chairman of HCMC Bar Association, earlier was quoted by Thanh Nien as saying that Vietnamese laws guarantee people’s right to use their properties as long as they don’t commit violations and the proposed regulation would contravene it.

“In fact, in Vietnam people have to buy cars at prices much higher than elsewhere in the world and pay all necessary taxes and fees, so there’s no reason their right of using cars should be restricted,” Nghiem said.

“The proposed regulation allows people to use cars on even or odd days, meaning that their use time is halved, so will taxes on cars be decreased accordingly?”

Citing Hanoi’s heavily-criticized plan to restrict the traffic of motorbikes based on the same method, Dang said HCMC needs to strengthen currently available solutions like expanding roads instead of coming up with new but impossible solutions.

“Once infrastructure and public transport networks become more effective, people will voluntarily abandon personal vehicles without prohibitions,” Dang said.

Last year the southern metro’s plan to place an extra toll on cars also drew flak from experts who dismissed it as unreasonable and impossible.
President Nguyen Minh Triet Wednesday attended the closing session of the 12th Ho Chi Minh City People’s Council.

Secretary of the HCM City Party’s Committee Le Thanh Hai spoke highly of positive changes in the organization and structure of the People’s Council, which, he said, have won people’s confidence and created consensus among the people.

However, Chairperson of the Municipal People’s Council Pham Phuong Thao pointed out shortcomings in supervision work and the settlement of people’s petitions as well as in the operation of local administration agencies.

Hai took the occasion to call on the city’s sectors, branches and people to actively prepare for the elections of the 13th NA and the People’s Councils at all levels for the 2011-16 term on May 22.

Tuoitrenews

Posted in: Society,Vietnam