Representatives of Da Nang’s Transport Department and Seoul Metro Corporation of the Republic of Korea sign a Memorandum of Understanding on urban railway development and research in Da Nang on January 17 (Source: VNA) Da Nang (VNA) – Da Nang’s transportdepartment and the Republic of Korea’s Seoul Metro corporation signed aMemorandum of Understanding (MoU) in urban railway development and publictraffic research at a ceremony in the central city on January 16.
The MoU will help the central city boost‘smart and green’ transport measures and build Da Nang as a smart and greencity by 2025.
As planned, the two sides will startpre-feasibility studies of some projects including subway, tramway, sky roadand metro system for the city’s internal traffic in the coming years.
Chairman and CEO of Seoul Metro Kim Tae-hosaid development of an urban railway system would help cement Da Nang’s statusas a favourite beach destination in central Vietnam. It will also develop aconnection with the East-West Economic Corridors (EWEC) that links Thailand,Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam.
Kim said the urban rail system developed bySeoul Metro company in the RoK provides major daily transport for 6 millioncommuters.
Director of the city’s transportdepartment, Le Van Trung said the urban railway, subway and tramway would helpmeet the transit needs of the rapidly urbanising city in the near future.
He said the development of mass publictransit aimed to reduce carbon emissions as well as overcrowding and trafficcongestion in the tourism hub.
According to the city’s Master Plan, DaNang will develop five Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) routes, 14 regular bus routes,three metro routes and two tramways by 2020.
With a population of 900,000, Da Nang hasoutgrown its current public transit system, which has only 48 buses travelingalong five routes.
Local people make 2.1 million journeys eachday, of which 80 percent are via motorbike, according to the city’s transportdepartment.
In 2013, the World Bank agreed to provide 202million USD for a 272-million USD sustainable development project to helpimprove the city’s Bus Rapid Transit network, build new roads and revamp theexisting drainage system.
The WB also funded a five-year priorityinfrastructure project of the city, funding 70 percent of the total investment of 218.4 million USD in 2008-13. - VNA
VNA
