A traffic jam stretching over 500 m on Nguyen Trai Street in Hanoi’s Thanh Xuan District on Monday afternoon.
A section of Ring Road 2 section passing through Nga Tu So Intersection in Thanh Xuan District, has almost no space left.
An ambulance caught in the traffic jam continuously honked to ask for priority but to no avail.
Traffic turns into chaos on Truong Chinh Street in Dong Da District on Monday afternoon as both car and motorbike drivers encroach into other lanes.
Le Hieu, 40, in Thanh Xuan District said these days going out on the road is always stressful as there are many more vehicles on the streets and the cold, rainy weather causes limited visibility.
"Normally it takes me just 25 minutes to go to work from home but these days, I spend as long as 40 minutes on the streets," he said.
A motorcyclist carrying an ornamental kumquat tree encroached on the car lane on Nguyen Luong Bang Street.
Traffic on Thai Ha Street on Monday afternoon.
Phan Le Binh, a lecturer of the Construction Engineering Program at the Vietnam Japan University in Hanoi, said the capital's streets are often congested on weekdays, but traffic jams at the end of the year are more intense due to higher demand for good transportation and shopping.
In addition, many vehicles carrying bulky packages and people stopping to buy Tet items sold on the sidewalk also contribute to more serious congestion, he said.
Hanoi streets are busy in days near Tet.
Ho Chi Minh City has seen a similar situation.
Pictured is a tailback of 3 km long on Dien Bien Phu Street in District 3 on Monday.
Some people stopped to buy flowers for Tet decorations on Nguyen Huu Tho Street, contributing to blocking up the traffic.
