Tet is the opportunity for people to gather with their family to wait for the moment of new year’s eve. However, in those sacred moments, many officers and employees of Trung Luong - My Thuan expressway operation team had to put aside their own joy and happiness to perform the duty of ensuring safe for vehicles traveling on the expressway.
Implementing the policy of organizing temporary circulation of Trung Luong - My Thuan expressway during the Lunar New Year 2022 from January 25, 2022 to February 10, 2022, the Management Board of Trung Luong - My Thuan decided to set up an operation and rescue team to serve this peak traffic.
Tet with "big family"
On the eve of the Lunar New Year, when people were preparing their luggage to go home for Tet, nearly 50 members of Trung Luong - My Thuan expressway operation and rescue team entered their shift. The expressway was opened to traffic on January 25, but the preparation work had to be done many days before.
Trung Luong - My Thuan Expressway on the morning of the 1st of the Tiger New Year 2022
Mr. Cao Van Hoa, Deputy Director of the Project Management Board, said: "In order to ensure traffic order and safety on Trung Luong - My Thuan expressway in 15 days of circulating, the project enterprise has fully arranged specialized vehicles, equipment and a team of operators, rescuers, firefighters, etc., The forces stand at the beginning, middle and end points of the route, especially arrange 24/24h patrol force to timely detect and support people during circulation.
In addition to members of the project company, Trung Luong - My Thuan expressway’s operation team during the last Tet holiday also had 14 people from the operation team of Deo Ca Traffic Infrastructure Investment Joint Stock Company. (HHV) was sent here to assist. This is a skilled force with experience in troubleshooting on tunnels in the Central region such as Hai Van tunnel, Deo Ca tunnel, ...
Mr. Phan Anh Nam, leader of the operation team, said that, like many other workers, he also planned to come home to reunite with family and relatives for Tet. After a year of hard work, everyone looks forward to Tet to rest, gather with the children's laughter. “When receiving the command to work through Tet, I didn't think much of it. Although this New Year I can’t reunit with my own family, the brothers in the team are like a big family to celebrate Tet together. Moreover, the Board of Director has put their trust in me, so I also tried to complete the task as best as I could", said Mr. Nam.
Busy with the cars
From December 23, the first cars began to be channeled onto the expressway. On the first day of traffic, many drivers when coming to Than Cuu Nghia intersection did not carefully observe the lane signs and turn direction, so they were confused before the turns. Some even stopped to ask for directions, causing congestion for about 1km on this intersection. Faced with that situation, the Expressway Management Board has coordinated with the traffic police force to strengthen regulation and guidance for drivers. At the same time, strengthen communication about route direction and travel direction on mass media, especially on VOV radio station so that the information about the route can be widely accessible to drivers.
The crowded vehicles run on Trung Luong - My Thuan expressway
“The route has just been opened, so many drivers have not yet grasped the information, and the operation team is also quite difficult. According to the original plan, we also divided shifts so that the brothers had more time to rest. However, because it is a new route, many problems arise, whenever there is a need, the team is ready to mobilize”, Mr. Nam said. In the following days, traffic on the route and connecting points were back to normal, and the operation was under control.
In addition to detecting incidents through the camera system on the route, the hotline 1900.86.86.77 was also opened to receive information. Ms. Hong Tham, an employee of Trung Luong - My Thuan BOT, is one of the two employees on the hotline. She said that every day she and her colleagues receive more than 120 calls to report problems via hotline number. The phone must always be carried around 24/7 to promptly receive information and report problems.
Ms. Tham shared, the first days she was on the hotline, she seemed to be "haunted" because she had to listen to very heavy complaints. “At first, I was also quite upset because I received information to support people but suddenly heard insults for no reason (laughs). But then I also sympathize because it's hot, if people got traffic jams or have problems, everyone is easily annoyed, I just gently answer questions and receive incident information to report to the operation team for handling”.
Heartwarming moments
In addition to the incident information, Ms. Tham said the operation and rescue team also had heartwarming moments when they received sincere thanks from the supported cases. Mr. Nam recalled about noon on the 1st day of the Lunar New Year, a girl driving motorbike got lost in the route and was helped by the brothers to lead the way out of the expressway safely. After returning home safely, Mr. Nam received a message from the girl, "I'm going home today. Thank you everyone for helping me so much. Wishing everyone on the rescue team good health!” and congratulations on the New Year of the Tiger 2022. He said that the support is a mission but also comes from the desire to help people in the Mekong Delta to travel faster and safer.
The bodyguard team of Deo Ca Security coordinated with the traffic police force to regulate and guide people to circulate
The operation team also has about 20 bodyguards of Deo Ca Security Joint Stock Company, who alternately marched on the route. Mr. Dang Trung Truc, captain of the bodyguard team, said there were many cases of motorbikes getting lost on the expressway. Also on the 1st day of Tet, the whole team had got a heart-pounding situation when a young man driving motorbike without helmet went against the expressway at a very high speed. The brothers in the team had to stop the man and hand over to the traffic police force. Although fortunately there was no collision, the incident caused many drivers participating on the route at that time to be shocked.
Because the ambulance was damaged on the route, the operator assisted the patient to transfer to Deo Ca's ambulance to continue moving to the hospital.
The Tet conditions for the brothers on duty on the expressway have always been cared for by the BOT Executive Board as well as Deo Ca Group. That is a great encouragement for the operation team and bodyguards when they have to be away from home during Tet holidays. On the 1st day of Tet, General Director of Deo Ca Group, Nguyen Van Hai, on behalf of the Board of Management visited, gave gifts and encouraged the working spirit of the operation team and bodyguards.
Mr. Nguyen Chi Trung, Deputy General Director of Deo Ca Security, said that despite working through Tet, everyone was always happy and tried to complete their assigned tasks. The members of the operation team and bodyguards are also very grateful for the timely attention and encouragement from the Group's leaders, so that they can work with peace of mind and relieve the feeling of homesickness.
General Director Nguyen Van Hai visited and encouraged the operation team and bodyguards on February 1, 2022 (1st day of Tet)
According to the statistics of Trung Luong - My Thuan BOT Joint Stock Company, from January 25 to 24:00 on February 10, there were nearly 1 million vehicle turns on the expressway, an average of more than 58,300 vehicles per day and night.
Regarding the performance of operation and rescue, there was 24 traffic collisions occurred; Rescued 154 cases of damaged or stalled vehicles off the road, 297 cases of broken tires supported by the rescue team, patching or replacing tires; 80 cases of vehicles running out of fuel and oil... all of the above incidents were free support and rescue. In addition, the project's bodyguards coordinated with the traffic police to block more than 825 cases of motorbikes not allowed on the expressway. The total number of trouble calls received via hotline 1900.86.86.77 is 1,888 calls.
BY NGUYEN NGA
