VietNamNet Bridge – The Ministry of Transport has decided to cancel a project to restrict individual vehicles in Hanoi, HCM City, Danang and Can Tho, said Transport Minister Dinh La Thang.

Construction of the Saigon Bridge No. 2 project will be boosted to ease HCM City’s traffic jams.

Thang gave the information at a meeting to review activities and announce new plans for the HCM City Department of Transport.

According to the minister, the ministry would carry out a new project, focusing on the development of public means of transport and individual vehicles in a suitable way, to replace the now ditched policy.

Mr. Thang added that the Ministry of Transport would issue regulations to classify investors, contractors, supervising consultants and management board to raise the quality of transport works.

In 2013, HCM City will concentrate on boosting the pace of key projects such as the expansion of the Hanoi Highway and bus development projects.

The minister has urged the HCM City Department of Transport to carefully control transport infrastructure projects and re-assess their efficiency to reduce traffic jams in a sustainable way.

Meanwhile, Deputy Minister of Transport Truong Tan Vien said traffic jams were the biggest problem in Hanoi. He proposed that Hanoi focus on mobilising capital for transport works and speed up the pace of major projects such as the Noi Bai-Lao Cai and Hanoi-Thai Nguyen highways.

The Ministry of Transport’s project on individual vehicle restriction in big cities had faced strong opposition from the public and many agencies.

According to Bui Danh Lien, Chairman of the Hanoi Transport Association, motorbikes should not be restricted from central areas of large cities because it would affect the lives of many people. He also noted that the applications of fees would affect production and business activities of people.

According to Mr. Lien, the requirement that only people who live in cities for at least five years in cities being allowed to register their vehicles should be removed because this contradicts the Vietnam Civil Code.

Meanwhile, Nguyen Manh Hung, Chairman of the Vietnam Automobile Transportation Association expressed opposition to the Ministry of Transport’s proposal on raising certain types of taxes on motorbike and autos, explaining that “All fees for motorbikes and personal vehicles have increased recently, and they should not be increased further. People will not be able to afford to buy anymore.”

Source: DTriNews