Hanoi, Oct. 14 -- Eight more traffic hotspots have cropped up in Hanoi despite the city's efforts to improve infrastructure.

The situation is predicted to get worse as the year-end holiday season approaches.

The rapid rise of new apartment blocks in the heart of the capital is blamed for the congestion, especially during peak hours.

The appearance of Muong Thanh Group's skyscrapers , for example, has turned Linh Dam - which was planned to be a symbol of a modern and well-organised urban area back in the beginning of the new millennium - into a severe traffic hotspot.

With some 80,000 residents, the area is now shouldering a perpetual influx of traffic.

Residents have to endure congestion inside and out during peak hours, tolerating l...