The Hanoi People's Committee has approved a proposal to construct 24 new car parks around the city in order to ease the current parking overload.

Steel-frame, multi-storey and underground car parks will be built from now until 2015, under the proposal submitted by the city's Department of Transport.

Capital for the project will be mobilised via public-private-partnerships (PPPs), in which bidding will be held openly for investors. The total cost is estimated at more than 778 billion VND (over 37 million USD).

The approved plan includes a 5,100sq.m parking lot and services complex in the Cau Giay New Urban Area, a 45,000sq.m project in Mai Dich-Cau Giay Exchange City , an 8,000sq.m Truong Dinh Complex project and the 5,000sq.m Dam Trau Car Park.

There are 1,178 registered car parks in Hanoi occupying a total area of 42.92 hectares. Despite this, the current resources have just met 8 to 10 percent of the city's demand.

The city People's Committee has also asked the transport department to work on constructing bus stations around the city, especially in the suburbs such as Hoang Mai, Tu Liem, Gia Lam, Thanh Tri, Dong Anh, Dan Phuong, Chuong My and Ha Dong. The department has also requested a review and appraisal of bus routes in the city for better transport planning./.