Many social media users, especially those in the Vientiane Capital, have once again expressed their anger and frustration over the poor state of the roads in the city, which have deteriorated to worse conditions during the wet season.
This happened when a video of a vehicle stuck in the middle of a damaged, potholes-filled road in Sikhai village, was widely shared online after being posted on Facebook.
After the post went viral, many residents and social media users expressed their dissatisfaction with the poor state of the roads in Vientiane Capital saying that they should be maintained properly to make it easier for people to get around and prevent accidents.
“The roads in the capital city are still in such poor condition, so imagine how bad the roads in the countryside are,” one social media user commented.
“I’m ashamed to show our country to visitors due to the state of our roads,” a netizen commented.
Another Vientiane local also posted on Facebook about the abysmal road conditions near his house adding that he had seen vehicles flip over after hitting potholes, which almost put the motorists’ lives in grave danger.
Netizens have repeatedly urged authorities to fix the damaged roads and recently, despite the rainy season, the authorities in Vientiane Capital were seen working hard to finish the construction and repair of roads in time for Laos’ ASEAN Chairmanship in 2024.
Additionally, the Lao Ministry of Public Works and Transport is investing over LAK 190 billion (over USD 11 million) in road repairs and flood control in Vientiane capital to prepare for the 2024 ASEAN summit and other upcoming government meetings.
Although the government has announced plans to invest in road maintenance and flood management, many social media users have expressed doubts about the government’s capacity to host international events while the roads remain in a constant state of disrepair.
