Many streets in Hanoi were packed with vehicles on Tuesday morning as the municipal authorities lifted the requirement for commuters to present travel passes after two months in effect.

As social distancing regulations in Hanoi are downgraded from the prime minister’s Directive No. 16 to Directive No. 15, functional forces are no longer checking commuters traveling within the city for travel passes starting 6:00 am on Tuesday.

The travel permits had been in effect since late July.

On Tuesday morning, several streets in Hanoi were so crowded that congestion even happened in some areas.

The intersection of Mai Dich Overpass - Ho Tung Mau Street - Pham Hung Street - Xuan Thuy Street in Cau Giay District became busy in the early hours, a stark contrast to the almost empty thoroughfares when Hanoi was under social distancing in accordance with Directive No. 16.

Noticeably, a large number of vehicles from the suburb districts of Hoai Duc and Dong Anh poured into the inner city.

High-volume traffic was also seen on Hoang Dao Thuy Street and Tran Duy Hung Street in Cau Giay District, Lang Street in Dong Da District, and Le Van Luong Street and Nguyen Trai Street in Thanh Xuan District.

Traffic police officers arrived at those hot spots to regulate traffic in the early morning to prevent congestion.

“There have been no traffic jams, but it is likely to happen once students return to school and all activities are resumed,” said a traffic police officer stationed on Tran Duy Hung Street.

Hanoi has escaped the brunt of a fierce wave of coronavirus infections in Vietnam since late April, recording 4,166 local transmissions of the 691,285 community cases nationwide.

The capital city became busier last week after authorities removed dozens of checkpoints and allowed restaurants to offer takeout services.

Vietnam has reported 695,744 patients, including 464,326 and 17,305 deaths, since the COVID-19 pandemic first hit it early last year.

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