The Hanoi Department of Transport has recently issued a decision on traffic diversion, focusing on banning trucks from operating in the inner city area. This measure is expected to alleviate traffic congestion, especially with the National Party Congress and the Lunar New Year approaching. These new regulations directly impact freight transport activities by trucks within the city, requiring businesses and individuals to be fully aware and compliant to avoid violations.
According to the decision, starting from January 5th, trucks with a total vehicle weight of one ton or more will be prohibited from operating and parking from 6 AM to 9 PM daily on streets from Ring Road 2 inwards towards the city center. Specific routes include Minh Khai, Dai La, Truong Chinh, Lang, Hoang Quoc Viet, Buoi, and Lac Long Quan. These are all major roads with high traffic density, and restricting trucks is considered a crucial solution to reduce traffic pressure during peak hours.
Beyond Ring Road 2, numerous other routes and areas in the city center are also included in the truck ban to minimize the risk of congestion. This list includes Nguyen Thai Hoc, Trang Thi, Hang Khay, Trang Tien, Dinh Tien Hoang, Le Thai To, Hang Dao, Hang Ngang, and more. This expansion of the truck ban area demonstrates the authorities’ determination to improve urban traffic conditions.
However, the truck ban regulation also includes exceptions to ensure the operation of essential services. Vehicles supplying domestic water, specialized vehicles for handling incidents, garbage trucks, and other priority vehicles are still permitted to operate normally during the restricted hours. For vehicles removing sludge and soil, operating hours are limited from 11 PM to 5 AM the following morning to avoid affecting daytime traffic.
To support the implementation of the truck ban, the Hanoi Department of Transport has deployed a remote traffic diversion plan for vehicles. Specifically, vehicles from the south of Vinh Tuy and Thanh Tri bridges wishing to cross the Red River (from National Highway 1 to National Highway 5) and vice versa will be guided to follow alternative routes. This helps reduce the number of trucks entering the city center, contributing to congestion reduction on main roads.
For vehicles traveling from National Highways 1, 6, 32 to the north, routes such as Ngoc Hoi, Phan Trong Tue, Cau Buou, Phuc La – Le Trong Tan (Ha Dong) – the North Ha Dong trunk road – Le Van Luong extended – Khuat Duy Tien – Pham Hung – Pham Van Dong or Road 70 – Thang Long Avenue – National Highway 21 – National Highway 32 and vice versa are recommended. These are ring roads and main trunk roads capable of handling large truck traffic, allowing vehicles to move conveniently without entering the restricted area.
Notably, some routes such as Nghiem Xuan Yem, Nguyen Xien, Khuat Duy Tien, Pham Hung, and Pham Van Dong have specific regulations on truck operating hours. Trucks with a total weight of more than 0.5 tons are only allowed to operate from 9 PM to 6 AM the following morning and from 9 AM to 3 PM daily. This regulation allows trucks to operate at night and partially during the day, while still restricting them during morning and afternoon peak hours.
To ensure traffic safety and order, and the effectiveness of traffic diversion, the inter-sectoral traffic and police departments of Hanoi City will increase the deployment of checkpoints, implement traffic diversion guidance, and thoroughly address illegal parking and stopping, as well as incidents causing localized congestion. Close coordination between functional forces is key to ensuring that the truck ban regulation is strictly enforced and brings about real effectiveness.
The expansion of the truck ban zone in Hanoi is a strong step towards solving the increasingly serious problem of traffic congestion. Although it may cause some initial difficulties for transport operations, in the long term, this is a necessary solution to build a more efficient and uncongested urban transportation system. Transport businesses and residents need to proactively update information and comply with the new regulations to contribute to this common goal.
Reference Material:
- Vnexpress
Trucks prohibited sign in Hanoialt text: A traffic sign indicating trucks are prohibited in Hanoi.
Traffic congestion in Hanoi during rush houralt text: Heavy traffic congestion with many vehicles on a Hanoi street during rush hour.
Map of Hanoi showing Ring Road 2 and truck ban zone
