VietNamNet Bridge – After Hanoi closed many illegal parking lots on streets, HCM City is also checking thousands of parking lots.

Hanoi: Where to park?
Ha Noi bans vehicle parking in 262 streets

The city’s Vice Chair Le Trun Tin on February 28 met with officials of the local Department of Transport and People’s Committees of districts, to discuss measures to improve traffic order and safety and to deal with illegal parking lots.

According to the latest inspection, the city has 2,389 parking lots. Around 1,440 parking lots use the pavement; over 300 parking lots collect fees that exceed permitted level and 303 that do not have licenses.

District authorities have committed to restore traffic order and close illegal parking lots on 159 roads.

Tin said that the city would address the operation of taxi firms.

HCM City considers 2012 as the year to make a basic change of awareness of people on traffic rules and the traffic situation in the city.

In related news, after a long delay, two underground parking projects will be developed in the city this year, one of which will cost US$200 million. This will contribute to meeting the public's great demand for parking.

They will be built underneath Le Van Tam Park and Trong Dong Stage – both in District 1 – in August 2012.

Of the eight planned underground parking projects, only four could be developed, including the two mentioned above and another two in Tao Dan Park and Hoa Lu Stadium. Once all these projects are completed, they will provide parking space to about 3,500 motorbikes and 4,900 cars.

The Investment Development for Underground Space Corporation (IUS) will start its underground parking project at Le Van Tam Park on August 19.

In August 2010, IUS held a ground-breaking ceremony for the project, supposedly with a capacity to host 1,200 cars and 2,000 motorbikes, but the project was soon halted due to procedural problems. The delay has pushed the project’s initially estimated cost from US$110 million to nearly $200 million so far.

Currently, IUS is waiting for the Department of Natural Resources and Environment to complete its procedures for land allocation and for a license from the Construction Department.

Nguyen Thi Bao Quynh, deputy general director of the Dong Duong Group, also said the group would develop a similar project in the Trong Dong Stage area if all legal procedures proceed smoothly.

The group obtained an investment certificate in February 2010 to build a 7,500 square-meter underground parking project for 560 cars. However, due to the problems in determining land rent, the project has been left undeveloped so far.

Nguyen Huu Tin, deputy chairman of the city people’s committee, asked the Transport Department to review and report all problems facing the investors so that the authorities can find ways to quickly resolve them.

He also asked the Planning and Investment Department, the Finance Department and other concerned agencies to design tax and land rent incentives for investors.

Quoc Quang