The People's Committee of the central city of Da Nang has said it will meet its deadline for a sustainable development project funded by the World Bank, according to a statement made by the city’s Vice Chairman Nguyen Ngoc Tuan on August 27.

The 272.1 million USD project, of which 202.4 million USD will be provided by the World Bank, will help improve the city's Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) network, build new roads and revamp the drainage system.

The fund will also aid the completion of major infrastructure sub-projects initiated under the Da Nang Priority Infrastructure Investment Project.

The project will expand access to improved drainage, waste-water collection and treatment services, the road network and public transport in selected areas of the city.

" Da Nang has invested much in urban development to make it the largest city in the central region and a ‘green city' by 2025. The sustainable project with a huge fund from the World Bank is the largest sustainable project in the city, aiming to boost socio-economic development," Tuan said.

According to analysts, the WB has built a strong partnership with Da Nang city over the past decade.

"We hope that Da Nang residents will benefit from the advanced infrastructure services of a sustainable city. It will provide a ‘green model' for sustainable urban development, which will hopefully inspire similar development in other cities," said Victoria Kwakwa, WB Country Director for Vietnam .

"The project will be very complicated, and the commitment of the municipal People's Committee is an important factor for the implementation of the project," she said.

"I hope the city will closely cooperate with our teams in carrying out the project, and the partnership will be strengthened" she said, adding that she hoped the project will help people understand the importance of public transport and change their uses of cars and motorbikes.

Director of the city’s Department of Transport Dang Viet Dung said public transport and current management institutions are big challenges for the city.

"We have experienced from infrastructure projects, but we need technical support and supervision from WB senior teams in public transport and urban management," Dung said.

"BRT is quite new for us with technology, management and institutions of operation."

Da Nang is Vietnam's fourth largest city and is widely regarded by other cities for its planning, governance and infrastructure.-VNA