VietNamNet Bridge – Ha Noi and HCM City are working to smooth traffic flows for candidates attending this year's university entrance exams which start today, July 4, around the country.

A volunteer shows a university candidate how to find his examination hall. More than 800,000 candidates have registered to sit for the first wave of the exam.

More than 800,000 candidates in groups A (mathematics, physics, and chemistry), A1 (mathematics, physics and English) and V (mathematics, physics and drawing) have registered to sit for the first wave of the exam which will end tomorrow.

Head of Ha Noi Police's Road and Traffic Police Office Dao Vinh Thang said the exams were organised during normal days, not weekends, so there would be more traffic pressure and huge traffic jams could happen.

Ha Noi traffic police would take various measures to response to the situation to ensure candidates arrived at exam venues safely and on time, he said at a recent meeting held to discuss traffic plans for the exam days.

Police have been mobilised at all exam venues to help guide traffic while priorities will be given to candidates and their families to enable them to get access to exam venues in time.

Traffic police were also responsible for guiding candidates to exam venues and would give them a lift if they are late, Thang said.

Police have been mobilised at 55 traffic control posts and 243 traffic jam prevention posts in the capital city, together with support from 145 mobile petrol teams during rush hours to help traffic flow.

Twenty volunteer youth groups will also be active at 20 hot spots of traffic jams to give a helping hand in responding to traffic congestion.

Providing help to candidates and their relatives are thousands of student volunteers who wait at bus and train stations to offer free or low-priced rooms to disadvantaged candidates and on duty along streets to help guide traffic.

To meet sudden increase in transport demands during the exams, the National Steering Committee for Traffic Safety has called for bus stations and transport businesses to increase more coach/bus trips, hold ticket prices and offer the best and safe means of transport for candidates.

Passengers at bus and train stations in the capital city are expected to rise by 130 per cent in comparison with normal days.

The Ha Noi Coach Station Company forecast that the number of passengers would increase by around 100-130 per cent at My Dinh coach station, 80-90 per cent at Giap Bat coach station and 60-70 per cent at Gia Lam coach station.

Deputy director of My Dinh coach station management board Nguyen Manh Tuan said the station planned to increase by 150-200 bus trips during the peak time to serve candidates and their family members and mobilise workers to be on duty around the clock.

The Viet Nam Railway Corporation decided to offer candidates and their family members a 10 per cent discount on ticket prices on all routes.

Around 2 million candidates have registered for this year's examinations which will last till July 16.

Source: VNS