Ho Chi Minh City bars vehicles from downtown routes for Tet events An artist's impression of a corner of the Flower Street that will be opened to visitors on Ham Nghi Street in District 1, Ho Chi Minh City from February 16 to 22, 2015. Tuoi Tre The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Transport has issued a notice about banning traffic from entering several routes in the city’s downtown area, which will be reserved for two annual cultural events dedicated to the upcoming Tet: Flower Street and Book Street. Tet, which is the Vietnamese term for the Lunar New Year, will fall on February 19, and the two events will take place on two parts of Ham Nghi Street in District 1 from February 16 to 22. Accordingly, traffic on Ham Nghi running from the Quach Thi Trang Roundabout to Ton Duc Thang Street will be halted from 7:00 am on February 6 to 6:00 am on February 23. A section of Pho Duc Chinh Street between Le Thi Hong Gam and Ham Nghi Streets will see all vehicles banned from 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm on February 16. In addition, vehicles must not be parked or stopped along the entire length of Pho Duc Chinh Street from 6:00 am to 12:00 pm on the days from February 6 to 23.  As for the Nam Ky Khoi Nghia section from Huynh Thuc Khang to Nguyen Thai Binh Streets, vehicles will not be allowed from 5:00 pm on February 16 to 6:00 am on February 23.   During the same period, vehicles will be prohibited on a part of Pasteur Street, located between Nguyen Cong Tru and Huynh Thuc Khang Streets, and on a section of Ton That Dam Street running from Nguyen Cong Tru to Huynh Thuc Khang Streets. The same period will also see no traffic on the Ho Tung Mau section stretching between Nguyen Cong Tru and Hai Trieu Streets, as well as from Alley 2 of Ham Nghi Street to Ho Tung Mau Street. The bus station in front of Ben Thanh Market will be suspended during the opening ceremony of the Flower Street Festival from 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm on February 16. Buses will be re-directed so that they will not enter banned streets during the two flower and book festivals and the re-arrangement will be made known to the public. Vehicles of residents in these areas will be allowed to travel under the instructions of traffic regulating forces, the transport department said. Tuoitrenews