Trang Chủ
The MRT lines planned under the project are two of six lines to be developed in the city between now and 2020, requiring a total investment likely to exceed US $5 billion. The city People Committee aims to raise the share of public transport to carry one quarter of all daily motorized trips by 2010 and 50% by 2020, a sharp increase from mid 2005 levels which were as low as 2%.
The two lines, projected to cover a total of 20.6 kilometres, with 22 stations, will traverse Ho Chi Minh central business district.
ADB TA grant will finance the preparation of a consolidated MRT network master plan and land use strategy that maximizes MRT use and reflects anticipated demand.
The TA will also help draw up preliminary engineering designs and technical and operational standards, with supporting social, environmental, technical, economic and financial appraisals. Financing options, such as public-private partnerships, will likewise be proposed.
“If the increasing motorization is not offset by better transport infrastructure and public transport systems, the city will soon face congestion, road security, and air pollution problems similar to those in other large Asian cities such as Bangkok, Beijing, Manila, and Jakarta, says Hubert Jenny, an ADB Senior Urban Development Specialist.
MRTs can provide convenient, comfortable, safe, affordable, and clean urban travel, thus reducing reliance on private modes of travel and improving the quality of urban living for Ho Chi Minh residents, he added.
Ho Chi Minh city, the largest city in Vietnam and the country economic hub, has a population forecast to swell from the current 7.9 million to 13.5 million by 2020. Private vehicles in the city now account for more than 90% of total journeys (most of which are motorcycles), and rising incomes are allowing more households to afford cars.
Source: Nhan Dan, November 28, 2006
