Leaders of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Transport have invited local journalists to a breakfast meeting to discuss issues regarding the city’s traffic situation.

The gathering was organized in a friendly atmosphere at the cafeteria of the transport department headquarters on Tuesday morning.

According to Bui Xuan Cuong, director of the agency, similar breakfast meetings are scheduled to take place every third Tuesday of each month at the same location for about one hour.

“We cannot acknowledge the traffic situation at every street and neighborhood in the city,” Director Cuong said, adding that the reporters will be a great source of information thanks to their regular updates on the issue.

Ideas and initiatives designed to improve traffic in Ho Chi Minh City are also welcome during the meetings, the official said.

At the beginning of the meeting, the leader of the transport department discussed major projects scheduled to be executed in 2017, including new flyovers at the entrance to the Tan Son Nhat international Airport, and new branches to Nguyen Van Cu and Nguyen Tri Phuong Bridges in District 5, along with some others.

He also mentioned the BRT(bus rapid transit) route along Vo Van Kiet Avenue, which will commence in 2018.

The agency is trying to simplify the necessary procedures and apply appropriate measures to expedite construction works in the metropolis, Cuong added.

Officials and heads of divisions within the department also presented their reports on the current traffic status at several hotspots across the city.