Drain work to halt during New Year

HCM City's Department of Transport has asked contractors to temporarily stop digging streets to lay new drainage lines from December 31 to January 1, 2012. They are required to restore the surface of streets and tidy up areas in front of and around their works before December 31. The department has also asked that road barriers are taken down, except for those used in major works like the Nhieu Loc-Thi Nghe Environment project.

3 dead, 6 missing in coal ship sinking

Three crew members died while six others remained missing after their coal ship sank off the island of Co To in northern Quang Ninh Province yesterday, the local Steering Board for Flood and Storm Prevention and Control and Search and Rescue reported.

At about 3 pm Sunday, Huong Dien 09 ship with nine crew members aboard sank in an area about 49 nautical miles southeast of Ha Long Bay, the Board said.

The bodies of the three victims were found at noon today, said Pham Dinh Hoa, Chief of the Secretariat of the Board.

A source said that the ship’s engine broke down and the crew could not control the ship, which later capsized and sank, Hoa said.

“It was not until the ship began sinking that the crew called the rescue force. I do not know why they did not inform the force when the engine stopped working. The ship was far from the shore when it sank, so rescue ships could not come in time to save them,” he said.

The provincial border guard force and the rescue boats of the Maritime Search and Rescue Center in Zone II continued their efforts to search for the missing crew members, he added.

The ship is owned by Huong Dien Co Ltd in Thai Thuy District, Thai Binh Province. 

US provides eye care for 8,800 in Kon Tum

Central highland Kon Tum Province launched a project yesterday to provide ophthalmic care to more than 8,800 primary and secondary school students.

The project, sponsored by the US Agency for International Development (USAID), is being carried out until July 2012.

Under the project, students who are short-sighted will be provided with a pair of eye glasses free of charge.

One in every five children in Viet Nam is short-sighted or has ametropia.

Vietnam to lead Asia in transport infrastructure growth

Vietnam, China and India will lead other Asian countries in transport infrastructure in growth by 2021, according to a report by the International Quality and Productivity Centre (IQPC).  

IQPC, a popular consultative group, has supported international leading construction companies in providing businesses with practical solutions to overcome their challenges over the past 30 years.

The group’s report was based on economic growth rates and modernization and urbanization trends as well as domestic and foreign investment attraction.

In the coming year, a number of key transport projects will be launched including the US$9.7 billion underground road network in Seoul, the Republic of Korea, and the US$11.3 billion bridge linking Macao and Zhouhai in Hong Kong, China.

However, it said, the bureaucracy and interference caused by the administrative agencies have driven up the construction costs and hindered the progress of the projects.

Despite this fact, the overall situation remains promising thanks to the growing bilateral cooperation between trade partners in the development of transport infrastructure, especially roads to connect remote and poor areas to prosperous ones.

Most impressive in China, Vietnam and India are their long-term projects to help expand the Asian highway network from ASEAN countries to China and some key economies in Central Asia.

HCMC aims to protect tourists from robberies

Group of security guards help foreign tourists cross the street in HCM City. (Photo: Tuoi Tre)
Ho Chi Minh City authorities are deploying measures to protect tourists in response to the increasing number of robberies aimed at foreigners in the city.

Last Friday afternoon, Trung Hieu, a security guard at Ben Thanh market’s East gate heard two tourists shouting “Robbers, robbers” from a distance.

On arriving at the scene, he found a Japanese woman in her 20s panicking, crying on her boyfriend’s shoulder.

Hieu and his colleagues quickly followed two bag snatchers riding a Dream bike towards Le Loi Street.

Stopped by locals at the Le Loi- Nguyen Trung Truc intersection, the thieves threw their bike down and ran away.

However, they were soon seized by Hieu and his colleagues.

After getting back the stolen iPhone, the Japanese tourists were happy and kept on saying thanks, Hieu recalled.

Tran Duy Phong, who serves as a security guard for the city’s Voluntary Youth League, said robberies in Ho Chi Minh City have recently become complicated. His team’s duty is to ensure safety, help tourists cross the street, prevent them from being disturbed by hawkers, and keep them alert of street robbers.

“When we see tourists exposing a bag or backpack, camera, or phone in an unsafe way, we will advise them to keep it closer to them to prevent robbery. Also, when spot tourists acting as if they are unsure of something, we inquire and help them to find a solution,” he said.

Phong recalled one day when he was patrolling around the De Tham and Bui Vien intersection, in District 1, when he saw a young man riding an Air Blade grab a female Canadian tourist’s purse. Immediately, he and two colleagues ran after the robber.

An electrician working nearby used a wooden ladder to block the way, causing the thief to fall off his bike. He quickly got up and ran away.

But after being chased to a dead end, the thief started to act innocent.

“I didn’t do anything, why did you follow me?” he asked the guards.

However, the tourist’s wallet in his pants pocket told the story. The thief was soon taken to the Ben Thanh ward police station.

According to Phong, guards from the city’s Voluntary Youth League go on shifts to ensure security for tourists visiting Ho Chi Minh City. Although they have limited English proficiency, these young guards can still carry on basic conversations with tourists.

“The end of the year and the Tet holiday are prime times for thievery around the Ben Thanh market; we cannot be inattentive,” Phong warned.

Recently, many local netizens have spread the story of Doris and Kay, two tourists from Hong Kong who had to sell their own pictures in the city’s Pham Ngu Lao backpacker area after being robbed of all their possessions, including passports, last Thursday.

While sitting on the back of a bike, Doris had carefully put her bag between her and the driver. However, the thief still managed to snatch it and get away.

“Thieves are present in every country, but it was the first time I’ve seen someone riding a scooter and robbing bag at the same time. This is a lesson for me if I return to Vietnam,” said Kay, Doris’s boyfriend.

Nguyen Viet Anh, head of the Travel Division of the city's Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism, told newswire VnExpress that robberies targeting foreigners in the city happen frequently and are on the rise.

“We held a meeting with the city’s People Committees and related departments to find solutions to reduce robberies in the city,” he said.

The department will cooperate with local police and tighten security and patrol forces to protect tourists from theft.

It also demands that restaurants, hotels, and travel agencies in tourist areas equip travelers with information on how to take care of their belongings, as well as how to deal with robberies.

“Tour guides should know hotlines to call security guards in the area or local police so that they can find a quick solution for robbed tourists,” he said.

ADB funds biodiversity conservation

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has provided a US$7.96-million loan to help the central province of Thua Thien-Hue conserve its biodiversity.

The project is estimated to cost US$8.83 million, of which US$487,000 will be sourced from the province’s budget and US$410,000 will be contributed by the project’s beneficiaries.

It will be carried out in 10 communes in the mountainous districts of Nam Dong and A Luoi.

The project is designed to enhance institutional and community capacity in managing the biodiversity corridor; restore the biodiversity corridor, protect the ecosystem and manage natural resources in a sustainable manner, as well as improving the livelihood and infrastructure for local residents.

Exemplary patriotic models honoured

The ninth “Vietnam Glory” program was held in Hanoi on December 18 to honor 21 units and individuals who reaped outstanding achievements in various fields.

Present at the ceremony were State President Truong Tan Sang; President of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labou Dang Ngoc Tung; Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Pham Hai Chuyen; Minister of Science and Technology Nguyen Quan; and Director of the Supreme People’s Procuracy Nguyen Hoa Binh.

The honoured units and individuals are those who have been awarded the “Hero of Labour”, “Hero of Armed Forces” titles or exemplary models in patriotic emulation movements.

They have tirelessly devoted their brainpower and creativity to the process of national construction and defence and symbolise the spirit, will and strength of the Vietnamese people in the new era.

Honouring exemplary models has promoted patriotic emulation movements and created a great source of encouragement for officials, soldiers and the entire people to surmount difficulties and contribute further to national construction and development.

The event was co-organised by the Lao Dong (Labour) Newspaper, Vietnam Television, Asia Friendship Company and Department for Information and Training under the General Political Department of the Vietnam People’s Army.

First phase of National Highway project given the green light

The Ministry of Transport has approved the first phase of National Highway 20 upgrade to transport bauxite ore from the Central Highland province of Lam Dong to southern Dong Nai province.

According to a decision signed by Transport Minister Dinh La Thang on November 7, the 123km road from Lam Dong province to Go Dau Port in Dong Nai province will be injected with over VND7.6 trillion (US$364 million) from the State budget. 

This part of the highway has been in use for 30 years and reported to be in need of an upgrade to better serve the bauxite mining industry. 

Construction will include different paths with widths of 7m, 12m, 15m and 27m depending on the locations of deltas, mountains and cities. Surfaces will accordingly have high load capacities of 1,600 kilos per square centimetre to meet the requirements of lorries carrying bauxite to run at a speed of 60 to 80km per hour. It will be constructed under the Build-Transfer model.

The first phase will run for three years, starting this month. It is one part of the two-phase project of the 268km National Highway 20, which runs from HCM City to the region.

Bauxite is an aluminium ore. Reserves in the Central Highlands are estimated at 5.4 billion tonnes.

Longest bridge over Red River begins construction

Vinh Thinh Bridge, the longest bridge ever to cross over the Hong (Red) River, on Sunday broke ground in Hanoi’s outlying town of Son Tay.

The 5.5-kilometer bridge will link Highway No 32 with Highway No 2, helping to ease traffic congestion on Highways No 2, 3, 6 and 32.

It will also connect the Noi Bai – Lao Cai Expressway and Ho Chi Minh Road to create a complete transportation network linking the capital with the northwestern provinces of Vinh Phuc, Phu Tho, Lao Cai, Yen Bai and Tuyen Quang.

Total investment for the project is worth US$137 million, $100 million of which are from ODA loans granted by Korea, and the Vietnamese government will cover the remaining.

The bridge, expected to reach its full completion after three years, will be built by the Korea’s GS Engineering and Construction Corporation, and supervised by the Korean Joint Venture Yooshin – Sambo.

“Once opened to traffic, Vinh Thinh Bridge will greatly contribute to Hanoi’s socio- economic development, and other northern provinces,” said Deputy Prime Minister Vu Van Ninh at the groundbreaking ceremony.

Ninh also ordered the Ministry of Transport and the project’s contractor to cooperate to speed up the construction progress and ensure its quality.

VNN/VOV/VNS/Tuoi Tre