The secretary of the HCMC Party Committee, Dinh La Thang, has called on relevant agencies in the city to quickly find solutions to put delayed traffic infrastructure projects back on track.

Thang was speaking at a meeting with leaders of the Ministry of Transport and leaders of HCMC government and agencies on Saturday.

Bui Xuan Cuong, director of the HCMC Department of Transport, said Metro Line No. 2 linking Ben Thanh Market in District 1 and Tham Luong in District 12 has progressed slowly in the past two years due to design and investment changes. Lenders have agreed on an investment adjustment but the Law on Public Investment requires projects worth over VND10 trillion (around US$446 million) to be approved by the National Assembly (NA).

To put the project on fast track, Cuong proposed HCMC seek the Government approval to invite tenders for the already-approved components of the project while waiting for the NA’s approval.

Thang said Government and NA permission should be sought for the city to take charge of the metro project, or the city should ask the NA Standing Committee for approval, instead of having to wait for the legislature.

As for the Tan Van-Nhon Trach section of Ring Belt No. 3 project, Cuu Long Corporation for Investment Development and Project Management of Infrastructure said last year that it was going to break ground for it, but it has not made a move.

Thang asked the corporation to explain reasons. Duong Tuan Minh, general director of Cuu Long, said the Ministry of Transport approved the feasibility study for the project in mid-February. Moreover, the section will be funded by official development assistance and build-operate-transfer finances, so the corporation has had to spend more time dealing with relevant issues.

Minh said a bidding procedure is underway to pick a consulting firm and that the city should arrange VND130 billion for site clearance.

Deputy Minister of Transport Nguyen Ngoc Dong said the ministry could complete procedures as fast as possible to pave the way for construction of the road section to start by the end of this year. 

Thang asked why the Ben Luc-Long Thanh expressway under construction did not have an exit to Can Gio District, HCMC as expected by local people. General director of Vietnam Expressway Corporation (VEC) Mai Tuan Anh said the corporation and the city are working to select an appropriate location for connection to the expressway.

At the meeting, Thang called on the city government to have a list of projects that will be executed in the next four years. 

The city’s Party chief grilled relevant agencies over the existence of illegal inter-provincial bus services.

Tran Bao Ngoc, head of the transport department under the ministry, said HCMC is a metropolis, so it is inconvenient for passengers to travel a long way to bus stations far from the city center if they want to go to other provinces. Therefore, there should be pickup and drop-off sites in the city center.

Cuong of the Department of Transport said the city lacks land for such places.

Thang assigned the city government to review available land and take back lots which are not bringing economic value to the city to build car parks and places for transport firms to pick up and drop off passengers.

Passenger transport firms want pickup and drop-up sites

Many transport firms in HCMC have petitioned the municipal Department of Transport to arrange places for them to pick up and drop off passengers. 

The petition was made at a dialogue between enterprises and the department last Friday after the department had planted no-parking signs for over-nine-seat buses on Nguyen Thai Binh and Le Thi Hong Gam streets in District 1.

Le Van Hue, director of Hoa Mai Transport and Travel Services Co Ltd, told the meeting that the firm had had trouble finding places to pick up and drop off passengers after such signs were erected.

He said passenger demand for pickups and drop-offs in the downtown area is huge.

Hoa Mai admitted it infringed the existing regulations as it picked up and dropped off guests at wrong places but wants approval to open stations at 110 and 233 Vo Van Kiet streets in District 1 to better serve passengers. 

A representative of Mai Linh Express said there should be coach stations in the city downtown for all transport firms to pick up and drop off passengers rather than permitting them to arrange their own places. He said chaos might appear in the downtown area if all 600 firms have their own stations.

Tran Ngoc Khanh, director of Toan Thang Co Ltd, said the firm has 40 vehicles at Mien Dong Coach Station and 40 others at Mien Tay Coach Station, which transport passengers to Vung Tau City. In reality, few passengers are willing come to those stations but most passengers want to be picked up and dropped off in inner-city districts.    

He petitioned agencies to open such places to create favorable conditions for both passengers and businesses.