Hanoi reconsiders changing office, school hours to combat traffic congestion

Hanoi is planning to review and adjust school and business hours in a bid to reduce traffic jams and pollution.

Police in the Vietnamese capital have surveyed over 15,000 residents, and 71 percent said they were in favor of the plan.

The proposal will be reviewed by the city's People’s Council, the municipal legislature, in early July. However, the city needs to make further reports to the government and related ministries before it can implement the plan.

Details are sketchy at this point. It is not clear if the city will rehash a short-lived timetable that it once tested.

In 2012, the city adjusted school hours in 12 districts to finish at 7 p.m. instead of 5 p.m. to avoid rush hour. However, the plan was scrapped after two weeks following complaints that it made no difference to the traffic.

Normally, state-run organizations in Vietnam run through 8:00 a.m to 5:00 p.m, while banks may close half an hour earlier.