A section of Vo Van Ngan Street in Thu Duc, a district-level city under Ho Chi Minh City, is covered with some steel slabs, presenting a significant hazard for traffic accidents as several motorcycle riders have slipped and fallen because of these slippery flat pieces. 

On Saturday, many commuters fell or almost fell while riding on this section near an interchange between Road No. 11 and Vo Van Ngan Street, where a drainage system upgrade project is being executed.

Some one-meter-wide slabs were connected for a length of 20 meters to pave the surface of the road section.

They are often covered by dust and sand, making it hard for motorcycles to travel there.

Camera footage showed three commuters falling from their motorcycles when passing along this section on Saturday, while many others had to slow down for fear of a slip.

In addition, crowds of commuters use the route every day, posing a high risk of traffic incidents.

“This street often sees dense traffic flow, while the project is being executed at a snail’s pace, leading to traffic congestion and air pollution in the area," Binh Minh, a 34-year-old commuter, expressed her frustration.

According to the previous observation of Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper reporters, fences erected near the Vo Van Ngan - Chuong Duong Intersection also made it tough for residents to commute.

Tran Nhan, a representative from a company in charge of the Vo Van Ngan Street drainage system installation and upgrade project, said that as the road section suffers subsidence during the installation process, his company placed these slabs on the road to make it convenient for commuters. 

After being notified that several commuters fell due to the slabs, the company welded some steel bars on them to help commuters avoid falling, Nhan said. 

Work on the drainage system upgrade project on Vo Van Ngan Street, a key route in Thu Duc City, has been prolonged for several months.

Anh Vinh Group JSC had previously won a tender to implement the project with a total investment of over VND100 billion (US$4 million).

The project got off the ground in late 2020 and was slated for completion after 17 months.

However, it was carried out at a slow pace, so in October last year, the investor of the project ended a contract with the contractor.

Thinh Phat Investment Construction Company won a bidding package in January to proceed with the project within 270 days.

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