Many caught jaywalking close to pedestrian bridge in Ho Chi Minh City

At noon on Thursday a task force from the Rach Chiec traffic police was patrolling along Vo Nguyen Giap Street in the former Thu Duc City when students got off at a bus stop and climbed over the median, which is a strip of trees, or dodged through heavy traffic to reach the Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology on the opposite side.

Just 300 meters away from where they did it is a pedestrian bridge and an intersection with crosswalks.

A police officer is seen stopping two students who jaywalked near Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology in HCMC, Sept. 18, 2025. Photo by VnExpress/Ho Dinh

Stopped by officers for jaywalking, a 21-year-old student said since the bus stop was directly opposite his school, it was more convenient to cross the 20-meter road instead of walking to the pedestrian bridge.

"I crossed like that to avoid walking far under the hot sun though I knew it was a violation."

This practice is common in the area, where there are many universities and industrial zones.

Within an hour the officers stopped and fined more than a dozen students VND200,000 (US$8) each.

A male student received a fine for jaywalking near Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology, Sept. 18, 2025. Photo by VnExpress/Ho Dinh

A spokesperson for the Rach Chiec traffic police said Vo Nguyen Giap Street, a major arterial road connecting the eastern gateway and downtown HCMC, often has heavy traffic, with the vehicles including container trucks, but pedestrians frequently cross it hazardously.

Besides slapping fines for jaywalking, the unit has also urged authorities to install taller barriers along the median.