BRT bus has its own lane on Hanoi street (Source: VNA)Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam needs to set aclear vision and plan to achieve its goals of developing smart publictransportation, and study successful cases from countries that are worldleaders in this development, according to international experts.
In the strategy for public transportation developmentto 2020, with orientations towards 2030, Vietnam set to make publictransportation a preferable choice in tandem with controlling private vehiclegrowth and upgrading the quality of urban transportation.
Like many other Asian nations, Vietnam isdealing with rapid urbanization. By 2017, 40 percent of the nation’s 90-millionpopulation lived in urban areas. The figure is expected to reach 50 percent by2025.
“Swedish innovation and expertise can be ofgreat value when Vietnam is looking for sustainable solutions to challenges amidits growing urbanization, particularly in transport,” said Swedish Ambassador toVietnam Pereric Hogberg.
The diplomat attended the recent roundtablediscussion in Hanoi on “Fostering efficient operation and management of publictransport: sharing successful experience of Sweden in emerging countries”.
Swedish experts share their experience at the event (Source: VNA) The event was organised on the occasion of the Vietnamvisit of the Swedish Sustainable City Delegation, which included ABB, Erisson,Volvo Buses, Axis Communications, Volvo Cars and Roxtec.
The Swedish companies had discussion withseveral public and private stakeholders in the public transport and urbandevelopment sector on how Vietnam can increase urban ridership in publictransport, ensure urban environment is safe and make use of the latesttechnologies available in ITS/IoT and eMobility.
General Director of ABB Vietnam Brian Hull quotedVietnam’s Ministry of Construction as saying the urbanization rate in Vietnam hasincreased from 19.6 percent with 629 urban areas in 2009 to 37.5 percent with813 urban areas in 2017.
General Director of ABB Vietnam Brian Hull speaks at the roundtable talk (Source: VNA)As in many other developing countries,Vietnam’s urbanization process causes many difficulties and challenges, particularlyin social infrastructure, land use, incomprehensive development of transportand urban planning, Brian Hull said.
ABB offers solutions across the entiretechnology value chain, he said, adding “We are keen to bring even more of ourtechnologies to Vietnam and support the development of sustainable urbanizationand smart transportation in Vietnam in particular.”
Marie-Helene Mansard, Head of Regional BusinessDevelopment, Axis Communications South Asia Pacific said, the company providescameras for smart traffic lights.
“Smart traffic lights can turn red, yellow orgreen automatically depending on the traffic loads on the road.”
The system has been implemented in the Central cityof Da Nang, she said, adding that Vietnam should expand the system to helpaddress traffic situation in big cities.
“We need to raise the awareness of thistechnology, to make people know that it is existing and working and can be usedeffectively in Vietnam.”
The strong development of the Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) was also mentioned as asolution.
BRT was first initiated by Hanoi as the capitalcity has set to create a smart and civilised public transportation image.
Jan Vandooren, Urban Mobility Director of theVolvo Buses highlighted BRT system as the most optimal transportation mode inthe urban environment. The system has been introduced to more than 200countries in the world.
Jan Vandooren, Urban Mobility Director of the Volvo Buses in an interview with VNA reporter (Source: VNA)“BRT have high capacity and dedicated length.BRT buses can transport up to 200 people and run at the maximum speed in thecity,” he told Vietnam News Agency.
He also pointed to the advantages of the BRTsystem over other transportation modes, such as light trains or metro lines interms of investment cost and quicker turn-over.
“Investment cost in BRT makes up only fivepercent of metro investment. The line can be implemented within 15 months aftermaking decision,” he said.
“In order to make BRT attractive to passengers,you need to have a big enough system to make passengers feel comfortable to useit.”
He advised Hanoi to have a separate, specific bus association working on BRT.
“Land is limited in the city, this is exactly wherepolitical courage is needed” to decide which transport mode to be givenpriority, he said.
Vietnam has seen significant improvement in thetransport system, with over 1,000km of highways and a safe and convenientnetwork of public airports, seaports.-VNA
VNA
