Red light not working: people turn off their engines and walk, what do the police say?

Many drivers do not dare to drive through the intersection of National Highway 22 - Giap Hai, Cu Chi District (HCMC), some people ride motorbikes on foot because the traffic lights here are not working.

Social media users circulated a clip recording a scene where the traffic lights at an intersection lost their signals. Many car drivers did not dare to drive through the intersection because the fine for running a red light according to Decree 168/2024/ND-CP is 18-20 million VND. Meanwhile, the motorcyclist also got out of the car and walked. Through verification, the incident occurred at the intersection of National Highway 22 - Giap Hai (in front of Cu Chi Bus Station, Cu Chi District) at 9:15 am the same day.

Speaking to the press, Mr. Thuan (living in Ho Chi Minh City) said that at around 9:10 a.m. the same day, he drove his car to the above intersection and discovered that the traffic signal pillar did not display lights. He and many other drivers did not dare to cross the intersection, causing serious traffic congestion of more than 3km in both directions. After waiting for more than 15 minutes, he had to send a text message to the hotline 1022, then filmed a clip as evidence to cross the intersection because he had urgent work.

"I drove away, but many other drivers did not dare to go through the intersection because the fine for running a red light was 19 million VND. Meanwhile, motorcyclists also did not dare to drive through the intersection, they had to get off their vehicles and walk. While walking their vehicles, they were nervous because they did not know if they would be fined 5 million VND for not obeying the traffic light signal or not," said Mr. Thuan.

In addition, Mr. Bao (residing in Cu Chi district) said that because the traffic lights were not working, drivers stopped their cars on the road and did not dare to cross the intersection. Only a few cars passed, the rest stopped on the road. Many motorcyclists had to walk through the area.

"People are very upset because the Northwest Traffic Police Station (PC08 Department) is not far away but no officers have come to direct traffic," said Mr. Bao.

An officer from the Northwest Traffic Police Station said that the traffic light pole in front of the Cu Chi Bus Station gate was damaged this morning, causing the incident. The unit coordinated with relevant parties to fix the problem and direct traffic flow afterwards.

A leader of the Traffic Police Team in Ho Chi Minh City said that people driving to intersections where traffic lights are not working can drive normally, but must observe to ensure safety.

Without traffic lights, people will not be accused of not obeying traffic lights. In addition, people should call the hotline to report traffic police so that the force can quickly arrive to regulate and fix the problem.

"The traffic light is off so it is no longer effective, people driving through it are not breaking the law. When the traffic light is active and people do not comply, it is a violation," he said.

A representative of the Road Traffic Infrastructure Management Center (HCMC Department of Transport) said that the newly applied Decree 168/2024 with high fines has had a positive impact on the awareness of traffic participants. In recent days, people have been more obedient when stopping at red lights and limiting right turns. However, this has also led to more congestion at some intersections.

The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Transport is managing a total of 1,070 traffic lights, with 794 operating in green/yellow/red mode and 256 operating in yellow flashing mode (including solar lights). Of these, 843 traffic lights operate independently; 227 traffic lights operate with control connections at the control center.

Regular management and maintenance, timely repair and replacement of equipment and materials, and troubleshooting of problems related to the system's operation ensure stable operation of the lights. However, the operation of the traffic light system is sometimes unstable, such as power outages, damage to control cabinet equipment, damage to lights, etc., causing difficulties for traffic participants.

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