Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung on February 25 issued a decision approving adjustments to the transport development strategy to 2020 with a vision to 2030.

Accordingly, by 2020, Vietnam ’s transport system will basically meet the society’s demand, providing increasingly improved quality at reasonable price. Traffic accidents will be curbed and gradually reduced while environmental pollution will be solved in cities and provinces.

The country will establish an efficient system combining different modes of transportation, contributing to helping Vietnam become an industrialised country in 2020.

By 2020, the national transport system is projected to carry 6.24 billion passengers, of which between 86 and 90 percent will be transported by land, 4.5-7.5 percent by internal waterway, 1 to 2 percent by railway and 1-1.7 percent by air. Total goods transport volume is estimated at 2.09 billion tonnes, with 65-70 percent being transported by land, 17-20 percent by internal waterway, 9-14 percent by sea, 1-3 percent by railway and 0.1-0.2 percent by air.

In terms of transport infrastructure, priority will be given to completing the upgrading and expansion of the North-South highway No. 1 with four lanes, completing the entire Ho Chi Minh road and upgrading the section running through the Central Highlands region.

The existing North-South railway line will also be upgraded while more surveys will be conducted to find feasible plans for a high-speed railway line. The air route system will be developed with the two hubs being Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City .

The strategy also sets a goal to develop urban transport infrastructure and public transportation, with 16-26 percent of land to be designated for urban transport.

In the near future, big cities will be required to overhaul their bus networks, invest in mass transit systems such as elevated urban railways and metro lines to shoulder 25-30 percent of public passenger transportation. At the same time, the development of private vehicles should be put under control, especially in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

In terms of rural transport development, the current road network should be maintained and upgraded to meet the demand of industrialisation and modernisation in rural areas. By 2020, 100 percent of inter-district roads will be paved with asphalt or concrete, as will 70 percent of inter-commune roads and 50 percent of inter-village roads. At the same time, waterways transport will be developed in the Mekong Delta region.

VNA