HCMC considers banning motorbikes on airport overpass

This move would be part of the city’s efforts to reduce pressure on traffic in the urban area surrounding the Ho Chi Minh City international airport.

The notion could especially help during the peak months of the year-end season when the number of passengers passing through the airport may exceed more than 41 million people, a record number recorded in 2019 before the pandemic.

The two-lane Hoang Hoa Tham - Cong Hoa overpass in Tan Binh District has been serving traffic for the past 10 years. Currently, both cars and motorbikes are allowed on the overpass leading to Tan Son Nhat Airport.

However, the overpass is always heavily congested.

City authorities have requested that Tan Son Nhat Airport deploy non-stop toll collection for cars entering and exiting the airport, and at the same time arrange pick-up and drop-off stops for buses to ease congestion at the gateway.

As the country’s largest and busiest airport, Tan Son Nhat has a designed capacity of 28 million passengers a year. In 2019, the airport served 41.2 million passengers, exceeding 150% of its capacity.

Last year, the total number of passengers passing through Tan Son Nhat was more than 34 million, exceeding capacity by 22%.

At the airport, the T3 terminal project and a new road connecting Tran Quoc Hoan to Cong Hoa Street in Tan Binh District are under construction and expected to be completed next year, helping to ease long-lasting traffic congestion around the international airport.