Run a red light in Ho Chi Minh City ? You could be cleaning streets

Ho Chi Minh City is considering making traffic violators perform community service, from cleaning streets to helping at public facilities, alongside fines, as part of a broader effort to improve road safety.

The proposal follows Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha’s directive after a mid-year review of traffic safety in 2025.

City police have been tasked with working with other departments to propose amendments to the law so the new measure could be legally applied. While community service is not yet recognized under Vietnam’s administrative law, it has long been used in other countries either as an alternative to fines or together with them.

The city will also increase enforcement of violations that cause the most accidents, including drunk driving and speeding, while addressing shortcomings in infrastructure and traffic organization.

At the same time, the Department of Construction will draft a « Traffic Safety City » plan aimed at pushing residents toward public transport, setting emissions standards and promoting green vehicles.

Since 2020, fines for traffic offenses in Vietnam have been revised three times, steadily rising. The fine for running a red light has gone from VND3–5 million ($114-190) to VND18–20 million ($681-757) starting 2025.

Ho Chi Minh City, which now manages more than 13 million vehicles after merging with Binh Duong and Ba Ria–Vung Tau, recorded 1,328 traffic accidents in the first 9 months of this year, leaving 666 dead and 71 injured. That marked a 31% drop in accidents and a 41% decline in injuries compared to the same period in 2024.

By Giang Anh – VnExpress.net – September 30, 2025