Traffic in Vientiane is getting worse every year as more people can afford to buy cars, and there is no space on the streets to expand the roads.

Riding your motorbike or driving on the footpath is allowed in Laos as the photos below proves, and pedestrian crossings are always ignored by motorists, so if you're a pedestrian please be alert of vehicles at all times.

There's too many road traffic deaths and injuries every month, Vientiane has the worst road toll per capita in Asia, and one of the worst in the world.

I'm a city girl and I love Vientiane which is my birthplace and my home. There's a lot of natural beauty in Laos with rivers, waterfalls and beautiful rural scenery but nothing beats Vientiane for me anyway, regardless of the traffic problems.

What is your favorite city, town or village in Laos?



Traffic in Vientiane is getting worse

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totally, when i was there it was impossible to even cross the street. i had to wait like 30 minutes before there were no cars. they should build pedestrian bridges.

It costs money to build pedestrian bridges, which we don't have.

It's advisable to cross the road with many people to be safe, but then again sometimes there's no one else to cross the road with you, so you just have to wait for the right opportunity. 30 minutes seems too long though. Cars and motorbikes will slow down for you because they don't want to end up in jail.

Why do so many Lao people have money to buy cars but the government doesn't have money for basic infrastructure? At least there is more prosperity now in Laos.

They are probably taking out a car loan.

There are pedestrian crossing lights in Vientiane and many pedestrians don't use them because they are too lazy to walk there.

It's much quicker to cross the road to get from A to B so pedestrian bridges and crossing lights are not in high demand.

My favorite city in Laos? Savannakhet.  It's a small city, but I like it more than Vientiane.

Capitalism at its worse.