Vehicles traveling on a highway (Photo: Viet Hung/Vietnam +) Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung requested the Ministry of Transport to focus on investing in the construction of national key projects such as the North-South expressway so that they will be basically put into operation in mid-2021.
The information was released at a conference held by the Ministry of Transport in Hanoi on January 2 to review its work in 2019 and set tasks for 2020.
At the event, Deputy Prime Minister Dung emphasised the demand for more highways and urged the ministry to build at least 2,000-3,000km during the 2021-2030 period. Relevant agencies were asked to provide solutions to improve the sector's competitiveness, construction quality and the connection between different means of transports.
Besides, according to the Deputy Prime Minister, the overload situation at airports, especially Tan Son Nhat international airport has not been addressed. Ineffectively tapped waterway transport burdening road transport, poor connection between different means of transports and between economic zones, ports, urban areas and traffic infrastructure in large urban areas being built slowly and triggering environmental pollution are among bottlenecks facing the Ministry of Transport.
“The transport industry is still confused in selecting investors for key projects such as the North-South expressway, "Deputy Prime Minister stated.
Setting out tasks and plans for 2020, the Deputy Prime Minister instructed the Ministry of Transport to coordinate with relevant ministries in defining the investment mechanism for flight zones including runways, taxiways of Noi Bai and Tan Son Nhat international airports while restructuring the whole industry to ensure reasonable development of multimodal transportation, logistics and public transport.
The transport sector needs to review and update the plans in the period 2021-2030, Deputy Prime Minister Dung said, urging the ministry to build additional 3,000km of highways during the 2021-2030 period and resolving bottlenecks of master plans of the system of railway, airports, seaports and inland waterways.
Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung speaks at the review conference held by the Ministry of Transport on January 2 (Photo: Viet Hung/Vietnam +) Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung also asked the Ministry of Transport to focus on the construction of national key projects such as the North-South highway, Long Thanh Airport and accelerating bidding and investor selection to ensure they will be basically put into operation in mid-2021.
Dung asked the Ministry of Transport to pay more attention to transport in rural areas as well as the problems with BOT projects.
He also said relevant agencies must work faster to ensure that the construction of Long Thanh Airport and the North-South Highway will be started this year.
Reporting on the main tasks and solutions of 2020, the Ministry of Transport affirmed it will strive to complete the public investment plan in 2020 with the estimated disbursed capital of 35.3 trillion VND.
In addition, the Ministry of Transport will strengthen the inspection, supervision and immediate handling of problems related to the progress and quality of works while enhancing coordination with localities to solve difficulties and obstacles facing site clearance and construction.
In 2018, the Ministry of Transport put 27 projects into operation and started 16 new projects. According to the ministry, preparation processes for Long Thanh Airport, Tan Son Nhat Airport expansion and North-South Express Railway basically met the schedules.
In 2019, they aim to disburse nearly 29 trillion VND (1.2 billion USD), reduce traffic jams to less than 30 minutes and the number of traffic accidents, deaths and injuries by 5-10 percent./.
Viet Hung (Vietnam +)
