Hefty fines alone won’t fix urban congestion, traffic violations in Ho Chi Minh City: opinion

Strict penalties for traffic violations such as riding motorbikes on sidewalks, going against traffic flow, or illegal parking are expected to leave a lasting impression on violators.

But why do such violations persist?

To address this, we need to examine three interconnected aspects: urban transport infrastructure, public awareness, and the deterrent effect of penalties.

Urban infrastructure falling behind

Urban congestion and traffic accidents in Ho Chi Minh City stem from a simple truth: the city has outgrown its capacity.

Population growth and the rapid increase in vehicles have outpaced infrastructural development.

From a population of two million in 1975, that number grew to over 10 million in 2024.

The number of vehicles has followed suit, with around seven million motorbikes and nearly one million cars now on the city's roads.

To properly address traffic issues, 20–30 percent of a city’s total land area should be allocated to dynamic and static transport infrastructure.

However, in Ho Chi Minh City, only around 10 percent of land is dedicated to transportation, largely due to land shortages in the urban core.

These numbers point to excessive traffic density and inevitable congestion—like a swollen river forced through a narrow channel.

Can anything be done to ease the pressure on urban infrastructure?

The population cannot be reduced, whereas it is expected to rise further due to migration and labor demand.

Increasing land for traffic infrastructure is only feasible in outlying or newly merged districts.

In the inner city, land availability is extremely limited.

Proposals to ban or restrict motorbikes are not highly feasible at this stage, as motorbikes currently offer significantly greater utility than public transportation.

Some researchers suggested that people are simply not accustomed to using buses, proposing expanding services and upgrading to faster, larger buses with dedicated lanes such as the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system.

However, BRT implementation results in Hanoi have been underwhelming.

Even with subsidies and improvements, public bus use remains modest.

The problem is not habit, but practicality.

Buses are still less flexible and convenient than motorbikes.

As long as motorbikes continue to offer greater personal benefit, they will remain the preferred mode of transport for many.

For them, motorbikes are indispensable—they are ‘an extension of the legs,’ a vital tool for earning a living.

In this context, most solutions for rebalancing infrastructure use remain impractical.

Are fines enough of a deterrent?

Many believe that older penalty levels were not strong enough.

Under the new Decree 168, fines are steep enough to seriously impact workers and low-income earners—no longer a symbolic ‘scratch,’ but a financial blow that could ‘break a leg.’

Yet violations continue.

This does not necessarily mean that people lack awareness.

Those who break the rules do not represent the general public.

No society can expect perfect compliance.

The goal should be to reduce the number of low-awareness individuals to the greatest possible extent through appropriate deterrents.

So what level of fines is enough?

As mentioned, the new fines already exceed the threshold for many low-income workers and students.

But fines are not the end goal—they are a means to ensure traffic safety and help build a modern, civilized transport culture.

This is why penalties must go hand in hand with other efforts to raise public awareness of traffic rules.

In practice, not all violators act intentionally or out of disregard for the law.

Some violations are accidental or owing to circumstances beyond a person’s control.

Educating people to live and work by the law must be a continuous role of the government.

Urban traffic problems are not unique to Ho Chi Minh City.

Almost every major city around the world faces them, and no solution has proven quick or absolute.

Incremental improvement across all aspects of urban life remains the most realistic path forward.