HCM CITY (VNS)— A television programme that captures city scenes without comment has been well received by city residents.

Last week, the Camera Can Canh (Close-up Camera Shots) programme showed, among many scenes, people on motorbikes and cars running red lights, going on one-way streets in the wrong direction and smoking in forbidden areas.

The 30-minute programme, which has been on the air on HTV 9 since last month, has received kudos from viewers.

"It's not a police report or a television documentary and it's interesting," said 32-year-old taxi driver Le Quoc Huy.

The scenes are presented without any comments or remarks from the programme's producers. HTV reporters travel around the city, capturing scenes from everyday lives of the people.

Producers say they hope people will avoid negative actions on their own after seeing the programme.

While there is no third person commentary, people in the video clips do talk to the audience.

A motorcycle driver travelling on the wrong side of a one-way street said his son's primary school was only a dozen metres away.

He acknowledged that he was violating traffic laws and that the violation could lead to accidents. But he said he was in a hurry and it would take much longer to reach the school taking another street.

There are also scenes of motorbike drivers taking to the pavements on many streets during rush hour, leaving less space for pedestrians.

A man in a video clip featuring several men smoking under a No Smoking sign in a hospital explained that he was used to smoking and he was sitting in a place with no wind.

"The smoke from my cigarette will not fly far," the man said.

Programme producers say their focus is traffic safety, but they recognise that raising people's awareness on laws and the need to follow them is not easy.

They are hoping that the new programme, which presents scenes without advice or judgement, will be more effective.

"The programme is getting more and more interesting. I never miss it, " said Nguyen Van Quoc, a third-year student of HCM City's Economics College.

Quoc said he would be more careful after he saw a video clip that showed a man stealing a motorbike parked in front of a shop.

"Even without key, the man stole the motorbike in seconds," he said.

Close-up Camera Shots is broadcast on HTV 9 every Sunday at 8.30pm. — VNS