VietNamNet Bridge – Only 18 percent of multistory buildings in HCM City have sufficient parking space, said the Ministry of Transport’s inspectors.

According to a recent inspection of the Ministry of Transport on the management and use of roads and pavements in HCM City, Vietnam’s biggest city did not attach adequate importance on building parking lots.

The city has only one complete three-story parking lot at the Vincom building and a public parking lot at the Lam Son Square.

The city planned to give 1,141 hectares of land to build parking lots but at present, it only has 561 hectares.

Notably, over 80 percent of high-rise buildings in the city do not have enough parking space. Of 80 multi-story buildings inspected by the Ministry of Transport inspectors, 73 percent do not have sufficient parking and 7.5 percent do not have parking lots.

According to a Decision issued by the HCMC People’s Committee on December 30, 2005, day and overnight parking charges for motorcycles are VND2,000 and VND3,000 respectively. For automobiles that are 4-15 seaters the fee is VND5,000-7,000 and for automobiles of more than 15 seats the fee is VND10,000.

Meanwhile, according to the review of the municipal departments of transport and construction, parking facilities of high-rise office buildings and hotels in HCMC are often 30% occupied at most.

One of the main reasons is the exorbitant parking fees at these buildings. Therefore, people prefer sidewalk and roadside parking lots, where they are charged lower fees, leading to traffic congestion.

When parking their cars at the buildings in downtown HCMC, each driver has to pay VND50,000 for parking less than three hours and VND100,000 for over three hours. The parking fees range from VND10,000 to VND20,000 for motorbikes.

Such fees are much higher than the levels stipulated by the HCMC government.

Particularly, the parking fee for motorbikes is regulated at VND2,000 each, VND3,000 for overnight parking, applicable at amusement parks, scenic spots, historical sites, cultural works, restaurants, pubs, theaters and the key markets. As for autos, the fees are VND7,000-10,000 depending on the vehicle types.

The city’s government also regulates that car parks with higher service quality can adjust their parking fees up. However, the fees are not allowed to exceed VND10,000-20,000.

At the review conference on traffic order and safety in the year’s first half, HCMC vice chairman Nguyen Huu Tin said the streets licensed for roadside parking might be revoked permits if the current situation did not allow.

“In the last six months, the transport department has to study automatic parking facilities for motorbikes. This is a must to remedy the widespread roadside parking. As for parking fees at high-rise buildings, the departments have to propose solutions to the municipal government in order to charge reasonable fees, avoiding the situation in which indoor parking spaces are available, yet vehicles are parked en masse on streets,” said Tin.

Compiled by Mai Lan