Driving against traffic is becoming increasingly common during the morning and evening commutes in both central and outlying areas of Ho Chi Minh City.

This trend has grown so pervasive that some two-way streets essentially function as one-way roads, with commuters traveling in a single direction taking over both sides of the street.

This phenomenon is particularly evident on Nguyen Van Tang, Nguyen Xien, and La Xuan Oai Streets in Thu Duc City, a district-level administrative unit of Ho Chi Minh City. These streets connect various districts to the Saigon Hi-Tech Park in Thu Duc.

Ngoc Hoa, a resident of Nguyen Van Tang Street, said that traffic congestion on the street lasts for hours each day.

Phan Van Tri, Nguyen Van Dau, and Le Quang Dinh Streets in Binh Thanh District, along with Dinh Tien Hoang and Le Duan Streets in District 1, face the same situation during rush hours.

Median strips seem ineffective in preventing people from driving on the wrong side of the road.

On streets like Hai Ba Trung in District 1 and Phan Van Tri in Go Vap District, for instance, commuters often drive against traffic, hugging the median strip in the hope of avoiding oncoming vehicles.

On Nguyen Thi Minh Khai and Truong Dinh Streets in District 1, as well as on Vinh Hoi and Tan Vinh Streets in District 4, driving against traffic occurs at all hours of the day.

At intersections between railway tracks and streets such as Pham Van Dong, Nguyen Van Troi, and Hoang Van Thu in Phu Nhuan District, many people opt to stop on the opposite side rather than wait in line on the correct side.

“I’m afraid of collisions and fines if I drive on the wrong side of the road, but the streets are so heavily congested that it seems like the only way to get through. I’ll be late for work if I stick to the right side,” said Pham Tinh, a resident of Phu Nhuan District.

Go Vap District resident Thu Hoai noted that Phan Van Tri Street in Go Vap is far too narrow to accommodate the thousands of commuters who rely on it daily.

“I work in Thu Duc City, so I have to use Phan Van Tri Street every morning,” Hoai explained, adding that employees who arrive late at her office face salary deductions.

Several areas in Thu Duc City are particularly notorious for commuters driving against traffic, including a section of the Hanoi Highway in front of Suoi Tien Theme Park, a stretch of National Highway 1 from Nong Lam University to Vietnam National University - Ho Chi Minh City, and another section of National Highway 1 in front of the Thu Duc Wholesale Market.

On these roads, drivers frequently travel on the wrong side, dodging buses as they pull over for pick-ups and drop-offs.

Vu Thanh, 29, stated that he takes extra care to avoid drivers traveling in the opposite direction during his daily commute in front of Suoi Tien Theme Park.

One reason so many people choose to drive against traffic in this area is that following the correct route adds an extra 500 meters to their travel.

Minh Tung, a 60-year-old motorbike taxi driver in Thu Duc City, noted that traffic police frequently patrol the area in front of Thu Duc Wholesale Market to catch and fine those driving in the wrong direction.

As a result, many drivers either push their motorbikes down the street or quickly turn their vehicles around to avoid getting fined.

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