Nghe An Department of Transport supports and transfers citizens cycling from Ho Chi Minh City to their hometowns.

"SPECIAL" CASE

In the middle of the “August sun tans grapefruit” noon, in protective clothing, traffic inspectors from the Department of Transport (DOT) were present at the Ben Thuy bridge checkpoint to support citizens cycling from Ho Chi Minh City to their hometowns in Phu Tho to avoid the Covid-19 epidemic.

After 17 days of cycling, at noon on August 25, citizen Luong Van Lam arrived at Ben Thuy 2 bridge. Photo: Thanh Le

Getting off the shuttle bus from Ha Tinh to Ben Thuy 2 bridge checkpoint was a skinny man with sunburned skin, a haggard face, looking much older than his age, along with an old bicycle and some personal belongings.

After stopping at the checkpoint, to ensure safety before getting on the bus, citizens are instructed to declare their health, have their temperature taken, wash their hands with sanitizer, and take a rapid Covid-19 test according to regulations.

An inspector from Nghe An Department of Transport helps Mr. Luong Van Lam move his bicycle and personal belongings onto a shuttle bus. Photo: Thanh Le

Through investigation, it is known that citizen Luong Van Lam, born in 1974, from Bao Yen commune, Thanh Thuy district, Phu Tho province, came to Ho Chi Minh City to work as a hired worker. Due to difficult family circumstances, without wife or children, he cycled to Ho Chi Minh City and asked an acquaintance to help him find a job.

His daily job is to supervise a construction site. Due to the Covid-19 outbreak, the site he supervises had to stop working. With no job and difficult economic circumstances, he decided to cycle back to his hometown in Phu Tho to avoid the epidemic.

Mr. Luong Van Lam was instructed to fill out a medical declaration because he could not write by hand. Photo: Thanh Le

Departing from Tan Binh District, Ho Chi Minh City on August 8, he brought along a dilapidated bicycle and the clothes he was wearing were worn and torn. "Every day I cycled from 5am, stopping whenever I was tired, passing by gas stations to ask for a shower, and sleeping on the road at night. The only money I had was 300,000 VND, which I only used to buy drinking water." On the way from Ho Chi Minh City to his hometown, seeing his situation, many people supported him with food and essential food, "whatever they gave me, I ate". Once, his tire was punctured, there was no place to fix it, so he had to push it all day - Lam said about his journey back home.

Medical staff perform a rapid Covid-19 test on Mr. Luong Van Lam. Photo: Thanh Le

Upon hearing that Mr. Luong Van Lam had arrived in Nghe An province, Director of Nghe An Department of Transport Hoang Phu Hien directed the Traffic Inspectorate to arrange a shuttle bus to pick up the citizen at the Ben Thuy 2 bridge checkpoint to Thanh Hoa. At the same time, he informed the Thanh Hoa authorities to request further support.

The traffic inspectors on duty at Ben Thuy 2 Bridge checkpoint also prepared lunch for him; at the same time, they gave him some money, drinking water and milk before the vehicle carrying citizen Lam continued its journey.

Nghe An Department of Transport Inspectorate presents gifts to citizen Luong Van Lam. Photo: Thanh Le

"I am very happy to be arranged a free car by the Nghe An Department of Transport like this. Now I don't have to ride a bicycle and sleep in the middle of the road anymore" - Mr. Lam said emotionally.

Nghe An Department of Transport prepares rice, drinks, and milk for Mr. Luong Van Lam. Photo: Thanh Le

It is known that previously, on August 24, Nghe An Department of Transport arranged a car to pick up 5 people and motorbikes departing from Ben Thuy 2 bridge to return to Thanh Hoa.

From August 21-22, 2021, at Ben Thuy 2 bridge checkpoint, 118 citizens from the South returned to their hometown by motorbike. The Department of Transport mobilized 1 truck to transport 4 motorbikes (to Ky Son); 1 passenger car to transport 11 people (to Do Luong, Tuong Duong, Ky Son).

Along with that, the Department has contacted localities to send staff to welcome people back according to the direction of the Provincial People's Committee.

WELCOME NEARLY 2,000 CITIZENS RETURN HOME

From August 1, 2021 to now, at Ben Thuy 2 bridge, there are a number of people from Ho Chi Minh City and the southern provinces returning to their hometowns by motorbike. These people are mostly manual laborers, have lost their jobs, have no income, and their livelihoods have been severely affected by the epidemic.

Nghe An Department of Transport arranged a shuttle bus to pick up citizen Luong Van Lam who rode a bicycle from Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Thanh Le

Implementing the direction of the People's Committee of Nghe An province, to ensure epidemic prevention and control in the province, from August 1, the Department of Transport of Nghe An has coordinated with the Nghe An Automobile Transport Association, transport and bus enterprises, and driver training establishments in the province to coordinate with functional agencies such as the Army, Police, Health and People's Committees of districts, cities and towns to organize the reception and transportation of people to their localities and quarantine areas to ensure safety.

Before being transported back to their hometowns, all workers returning to their hometowns by motorbike when passing through Ben Thuy bridge checkpoint are divided into traffic lanes to ensure security and safety; at the same time, they are instructed to make medical declarations, have their body temperature measured, and take rapid Covid-19 tests at locations chaired and arranged by Vinh City People's Committee and Hung Nguyen District People's Committee.

The Traffic Inspectorate (Nghe An Department of Transport) mobilized over 20 officers and civil servants to be on duty 24 hours a day at Ben Thuy 2 Bridge. Photo: Thanh Le

In recent days, the Department Inspectorate has mobilized over 20 officers and civil servants to be on duty 24/7 at Ben Thuy 2 Bridge, coordinating with Nghe An Automobile Transport Association, transport and bus enterprises, and driver training establishments to mobilize hundreds of passenger cars and trucks.

Through 2 phases, nearly 2,000 citizens traveling by motorbike from Ho Chi Minh City and southern provinces and cities to Nghe An have been supported to return to their localities and safe quarantine areas.

At Ben Thuy Bridge 1 and 2, the checkpoints to welcome people from the southern provinces returning home by motorbike also have the support of the Youth Union of the Department of Transport, Hung Nguyen District Youth Union and department and local officials to support essential necessities such as drinking water, food, milk, etc. for people and officials on duty at the checkpoints.

People were instructed by the Department Inspector to arrange their belongings and board the passenger bus to take them to their locality. Trucks were also mobilized from transport businesses and driving training facilities to transport motorbikes and luggage of people to ensure safety.

Nghe An Department of Transport prepares vehicles to pick up citizens from the South at Ben Thuy 2 bridge checkpoint. Photo: Thanh Le

Nguyen Sy Thang, Chief Inspector of Nghe An Department of Transport, said: The Department Inspectorate also contacted localities with citizens returning from southern provinces in the province; after that, people and vehicles will be handed over to each locality to carry out quarantine to ensure epidemic prevention and control regulations.