Traffic was at a virtual standstill on Friday night at the Pham Van Dong Street in Tan Binh District, near the Tan Son Nhat International Airport. The three-day break that started on Saturday marks the country’s Independence Day (September 2). Many migrants rushed home with their families and holiday-goers left the cities for various tourist destinations. |
The gridlock stretched along the entire 3-km (1 mile) stretch from Binh Loi Bridge to the intersection of Pham Van Dong and Phan Van Tri streets. “I waited for half an hour but couldn’t escape the jam, then canceled a customer’s booking,” said a GrabBike driver who carried his motorbike over the median strip to find another way. |
One young man held his bicycle high to squeeze through the crowds. |
Many bus drivers couldn’t get to bus stops, forcing their passengers to get out of the bus and step right into the crowded traffic. |
Some passengers on their way to the airport had to switch from cars to motorbikes to catch their flights on time. |
Several key roads leading to the Mien Dong (Eastern) Bus Station, like Dinh Bo Linh, Nguyen Xi and Xo Viet Nghe Tinh streets were all jammed. |
A little girl used the family car’s sun roof to look around and reflect on the jam she was in. |
At the My Dinh bus station in Hanoi, many passengers had to wait for hours to get a bus to go home. The station added an extra 140 buses to meet the increased demand. |
Vehicles on a road leading to Thanh Tri Bridge in Long Bien District in the capital city could only move at a snail's pace. A motorcylist shifted to the road's sidewalk to keep moving. |
The road leading to Thang Long Highway at 7 p.m. on Friday night. |