I have been watching the traffic here in this city for many years. I’d love to be able to say we are all getting better, but I cannot.

>> HCMC bus crash injures six

It only gets worse as more and more drivers are on the roads with more and more cars, trucks and busses, leaving less and less road for the humble motorbikes which make up the vast majority of the traffic.

What has become most obvious is the complete lack of caring on the part of four wheel vehicle drivers towards motorbikes. Four wheeled drivers seem to think they own the roads.

The bus drivers are by far the worst. Every day I see buses drive through intersections as if they were immune to traffic laws. These crazy bus drivers drive through red lights, cutting all smaller vehicles off, driving over the lines in streets, forcing all smaller vehicles off the streets. They hold down those annoying horns as they blast through traffic, pushing all smaller vehicles off the road.

These bus drivers care not at all for anyone else on the road. They kill people every day and nothing ever seems to stop them. They are like James Bond. “License to kill!”

I read that most truck and bus drivers kill an average of one person per year each! "One person per year!" I couldn’t believe what I was reading. What kind of society condones this kind of behavior? I know the average person does not condone this. So why do they get away it?

One afternoon at 2:45 PM on Ton Duc Thang street at the corner of Ly Tu Trong, several city busses wished to turn onto Ton Duc Thang from Ly Tu Trong.

At the corner they are supposed to yield to traffic on Ton Duc Thanh, according to Vietnam’s traffic laws. However, the busses rolled right through, forcing all other traffic to allow them to go through, fearing for their lives. The bus driver actually forced motor bikes out of his way with the front of the bus. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. You either moved or were run down. And this happens hundreds of times a day.

These bus drivers are absolutely out of control! They are maniacs!

They refuse to stop for other traffic, using the size of their bus to intimidate others into stopping for them. Does might make right in Vietnam?

Another problem with traffic is the way it’s set up: Cars are on the left and motorbikes are on the right. It’s unworkable! At every single intersection four wheel vehicles and motorbikes have to cross over each other to turn. And when no one will give the right of way to anyone else, you have chaos.

It seems drivers don’t understand the rules of the road. Traffic coming straight through an intersection must be allowed to proceed. When you are turning in front of those on coming vehicles you must allow the oncoming traffic to go by before you turn in front of them. It’s the law, it’s not a suggestion!

There is simply too much traffic in this city for people to drive any way they want to. It’s not most people.  It’s the few who refuse to obey the laws and make traffic impossible for the majority.

We are all in this mess together! We have to be more courteous to each other on the roads. Common courtesy towards each other will make traffic move more smoothly.

But one thing is absolutely clear: this city must get these killer bus drivers under control. No one will be safe until it’s done.

Source: Tuoi Tre