Saigon's solution to one-way streets

Saigon’s traffic shenanigans are a great source of amusement to travellers - at least for a day or two. After that, the hazards and annoyances of motorbikes riding straight at you on both the footpath and the road, can be a drag. The fact that footpaths are often completely allocated to motorbike parking, making walking impossible, doesn’t help. A particular curiosity is the one-way street. Many locals deal with pesky one-way rules by mounting the footpath and riding against the traffic with seeming impunity. This shot was taken on Dong Khoi St - Saigon’s historic main street right in the tourist heart of town. Dong Khoi St's a one-way street and there’s nothing special about what's happening here. It goes on all day everyday. The safety risks of motorbikes travelling at speed in pedestrian spaces seems to have escaped the attention of local officials. In a related hazard, one of the crime risks faced by travellers in Saigon is the motorcycle ride-by bag and camera snatcher. Official indifference to riding motorcycles in pedestrian spaces is a gift to these thieves. The purple banner on the right urges locals to embrace the year of traffic safety.