Observations by a Vietnam News Agency correspondent of four flyovers spanning the Đại Cồ Việt-Xã Đàn-Phạm Ngọc Thạch-Chùa Bộc road route in Hà Nội showed that pedestrians were mostly ignoring the structures, preferring to traverse the dangerous roads unaided. A number of dust carts had been left at the foot of the flyovers causing an eyesore for road users. Some residents also occupied the space with personal trading stalls.
The same problems were also seen at the flyover in front of Bạch Mai Hospital on Giải Phóng Road. The correspondent noted that all flyovers had cracked in parts and pot-holes were appearing on the concrete surface.
Đức Phúc, a local resident, said that a lot of shops and traders had set up along and at the foot of the flyover discharging large amounts of rubbish. This, combined with hassle directed at pedestrians made the flyovers an inconvenient option for local residents.
Residents living near the Giảng Võ Flyover complained that the area had attracted drug addicts and gamblers every afternoon and evening, creating a public order issue and further discouraging use of the flyover.
Trần Đức Tuấn, a student of the Banking Academy, said that the flyover in front of the academy on Chùa Bộc Road was built near the zebra crossing rendering it superfluous.
Statistics from the Hà Nội Department of Transport showed that the capital had 18 flyovers, but many of them had been built too high, with the steep inclines causing difficulties for older and disabled pedestrians.
In HCM City, the flyover at the Nguyễn Trãi Hospital in District 5 was locked for a long time because it provided an easy route for thieves to reach the hospital.
At a recent conference on designing, investing, building and managing flyovers which was held by the Vietnam Federation of Civil Engineering Associations in co-ordination with the ministries of Construction and Transport, urban experts agreed that current flyover management was unsuitable and ineffective.
Deputy chairman of the National Committee of Traffic Safety Khuất Việt Hùng said that to be operated effectively, the flyovers must be built in locations that have the greatest need.
Deputy chief inspector of the Hà Nội Department of Construction Trần Đăng Hải said that the process of conducting research, designing and building flyovers was a complicated task. As a result, some of them had been built in unsuitable places and therefore work ineffectively.
Ngô Hải Đường, head of the Infrastructure Management Division under the HCM City Department of Construction, suggested that to make the flyovers more effective, organisations should provide education and guidance to residents on the use of flyovers. Strict punishment should also be enforced for pedestrians who failed to walk in regulated areas, he said.
