Ensuring traffic safety before, during, and after the Festival

Mr. Nguyen Lien Khoa, the head of the provincial Transportation Department: ensuring traffic safety before, during, and after the Festival

During the First Vietnamese National Rice Festival in Hau Giang, the preparation to reorganize the traffic is very important to make it convenient for coming guests. Traffic safety and order must be given top priority to. A reporter from Hau Giang Newspaper has interviewed Mr. Nguyen Lien Khoa, the head of the provincial Transportation Department about this matter.

* Can you talk about the job of building and upgrading roads to serve the Festival so far?

The infrastructural works to serve the Festival has been essentially completed up to now. This can be said about all road axes such as: Tran Hung Dao street, February the Third street, Hau River’s West street, Hau Giang Road, the cross section of National Highway number 61 … According to the plan, all the works must be completed entirely including the cleaning and handing-over by November 26th. The systems of green plants and street-lights are also being completed on this occasion. There is only small amount of job left at cross sections and round-abouts such as tributary roads’ perfection, the planting of flowers and ornamental trees, the making of small ornamental islets. It can be said that despite the short time of building, the quality of the works is ensured, that is, the degree of compression, the firmness are measured and the works are checked closely by the supervisors. Speedy construction does not necessarily mean low quality, but more compaction and rolling to ensure the compression and firmness as well as the quality of the works.

*Can you tell about the job of reorganizing the traffic during the Festival?

We will begin the job of reorganizing traffic after the building of road axes has been completed. Vehicles of other from Festival guests from Can Tho to the decorated City’s Gate will follow the usual route of Lu Quan Bridge – Nguyen Cong Tru street – Nguyen Thai Hoc Street - National Highway number 61. Vehicles of Festival guests will follow the route of Decorated City’s Gate – Hau Giang street – Hau River’s West Road – Tran Hung Dao street – Xa No Canal’s embankment – Festival’s site. There are totally 34 road signs to guide the traffic in this area. The return route from the Festival will be Tran Hung Dao street – Ngo Quoc Tri street – February the Third street – National Highway number 61.

The parking lots for guests’ vehicles will be the followings: the provincial bus station of 8,200 m2 reserved for guests’ vehicles and vehicles to serve the Festival after their stopping at the Festival’s site, along Hai Thuong Lan Ong street and around Lotus Lake reserved for vehicles from Ministries, Branches, Central Government, international guests. There are people to give directions, parking signs, parking arranging at all parking areas.

*During the Festival, there will be a great number of motorbikes. What do transportation’s authorities do to ensure traffic safety?

There will be a lot of parking lots especially for motorbikes to make it easy for people coming to watch and do their shopping. There are make-shift parking lots on the pavements in all wards and the fees are stipulated by Vi Thanh Town’s People’s Committee to keep order and convenience for guests.

*Can you talk about how to carry out the job of transporting passengers coming to attend the Festival?

The provincial Transportation Department is responsible for transporting passengers during the Festival. The Department has worked with transportation companies and bus stations to arrange 10 vehicles of 7-seat, 12-seat, 14-seat/ each day to transport passengers. Passengers attending the Festival will be met and saw off as required in Can Tho, at Can Tho airport, or in other provinces. Additionally, there are 10 vehicles in reserve to serve as demanded. The provincial bus station will operate as usual. At present, there are 70 – 80 buses entering and leaving the bus station on the average to serve passengers. Therefore, the need for traveling of passengers coming to Hau Giang is satisfied.

*The traffic on Xa No Canal and Le Hong Phong street will be stopped at some times during the Festival. How do they reorganize the traffic?

From November 25th, roads and waterways in the area of Hau Giang are guided and regulated by provincial functional organizations. During Ngo Boat Race, the traffic on Xa No Canal will be off and then on again as usual. There will be authoritative people to give directions and guidance at all stations. As for the transporting of construction materials for projects along Xa No Canal, notices have been sent to all units in Hau Giang requiring them to stop the job by November 25th. These units can only work as normal within their project’s area and transport materials for their project before November 25th in order not to lack behind the working pace. Moreover, Le Hong Phong street’s section at the April the Thirtieth Bridge’s slop will be blocked for the vehicles coming from Giong Rieng of Kien Giang province in 2-3 hours from the beginning of the Festival. During the Festival, traffic will be directed logically by the provincial functional forces to avoid traffic jams and blockings. Generally speaking, smooth traffic will be granted at all time during the Festival to give guests good service and traffic safety.

*Thank you very much!

By HOANG MAI