Ho Chi Minh City Proposes Rush-Hour Truck Ban

During a socio-economic press briefing on the afternoon of October 22, Lieutenant Colonel Hoang Ba Tuan, Deputy Head of the Traffic Police Division (PC08) under the Ho Chi Minh City Police, announced that municipal police are partnering with the Department of Construction and Department of Justice to draft a resolution on traffic safety.

One proposed measure includes steepening fines for various traffic violations, notably illegal stopping and parking. The draft will be submitted to the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee before reaching the People’s Council for consideration.

Lieutenant Colonel Hoang Ba Tuan, Deputy Head of the Traffic Police Division [PC08], Ho Chi Minh City Police

Alongside higher penalty proposals, city police are coordinating a draft decision to supersede Decision 23/2018 issued by the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee regarding inner-city truck circulation limits and permits.

The draft emphasizes restricting select vehicle classes, especially heavy-duty trucks, during rush hours. This recalibration aims to align transit policies with existing infrastructure capacity and traffic density while prioritizing daily commuter movement. Logistics operations supporting industrial production will be scheduled for night hours accordingly.

Addressing the “100-Day Campaign to Clean Up Vehicle Registration Data,” Lieutenant Colonel Tuan noted that both the Ministry of Public Security and Ho Chi Minh City Police are driving aggressive implementation.

According to PC08 representatives, instances where a single individual holds registered ownership of numerous vehicles complicate efforts to identify actual operators and track down owners when vehicles are implicated in criminal activity.

Practically, authorities continue to register decommissioned vehicles operating beyond their statutory service life, posing severe road safety hazards. For vehicles exceeding 20 years of operation that remain legally compliant for road use, agencies are issuing heightened public warnings emphasizing vehicular safety.

Regarding congestion mitigation, Tuan revealed that PC08 has applied modern science and technology to traffic signal control systems, boosting operational capacity by 30%. The division has reported these trial results to the City Police Directorate to support scaling the model citywide.

Simultaneously, traffic forces continuously review and rectify structural flaws in traffic organization. PC08 is mobilizing maximum personnel to accommodate commuter demand while predicting congestion risks stemming from major infrastructure construction sites to proactively coordinate traffic management.

Ho Chi Minh City residents frequently endure severe traffic gridlock. 

In response to heavy rainfall and high tides, PC08 has coordinated with the education sector, proposing adjusted school dismissal times to allow parents greater flexibility in picking up students. The unit has also prepared support vehicles to assist residents navigating inundated areas.

According to Tuan, tackling congestion hotspots requires identifying root causes first to establish effective short-term and long-term remedies.

The City Police are currently proposing the establishment of joint task forces with the Department of Construction to safeguard traffic order and safety around Tan Son Nhat Airport, the city center, and Cat Lai Port. These specialized teams will mobilize multi-agency forces to handle emerging congestion points proactively.