The Hanoi People's Committee has approved a transport development planfor the period from 2011-15, a project estimated to cost 153 trillionVND (7.5 billion USD), which aims to upgrade the city's transportinfrastructure and address traffic problems.
In the Aprilproposal, the Hanoi Transport Department requested more than 260trillion VND (13 billion USD) to carry out the plan. This figure, whichamounts to 20 per cent of the city's GDP, raised concerns among bothexperts and the public about the feasibility of funding the proposal,and the projected cost was reduced to 145 trillion VND (7 billion USD)in a later draft of the budget released this month.
Under thenewly-approved plan, in the next five years Hanoi will prioritise theconstruction of national highways, ring roads, bridges, overpasses forpedestrians and railway routes through inner districts.
The firsturban railway project, the Cat Linh-Ha Dong Route, is expected tobecome operational in 2014, followed by the Nhon-Hanoi Station Route in2016, and the Nam Thang Long – Tran Hung Dao and Yen Vien-Ngoc HoiRoutes in 2018.
The municipal People's Committee Vice Chairman,Nguyen Van Khoi, said that in addition to improving the transportinfrastructure of the city center, the proposed plan also includes workin suburban districts.
The city intends to pave all urban roadsover 4,900km in length, targeting key roads linking districts to thecity or to the provincial main routes, which help to build new ruralareas and boost local tourism, according to the vice chairman.
Alsoincluded in the plan are provisions for 12 additional bus routes and 40new multi-storey and underground parking lots to deal with theincreasing demand for space./.
In the Aprilproposal, the Hanoi Transport Department requested more than 260trillion VND (13 billion USD) to carry out the plan. This figure, whichamounts to 20 per cent of the city's GDP, raised concerns among bothexperts and the public about the feasibility of funding the proposal,and the projected cost was reduced to 145 trillion VND (7 billion USD)in a later draft of the budget released this month.
Under thenewly-approved plan, in the next five years Hanoi will prioritise theconstruction of national highways, ring roads, bridges, overpasses forpedestrians and railway routes through inner districts.
The firsturban railway project, the Cat Linh-Ha Dong Route, is expected tobecome operational in 2014, followed by the Nhon-Hanoi Station Route in2016, and the Nam Thang Long – Tran Hung Dao and Yen Vien-Ngoc HoiRoutes in 2018.
The municipal People's Committee Vice Chairman,Nguyen Van Khoi, said that in addition to improving the transportinfrastructure of the city center, the proposed plan also includes workin suburban districts.
The city intends to pave all urban roadsover 4,900km in length, targeting key roads linking districts to thecity or to the provincial main routes, which help to build new ruralareas and boost local tourism, according to the vice chairman.
Alsoincluded in the plan are provisions for 12 additional bus routes and 40new multi-storey and underground parking lots to deal with theincreasing demand for space./.
