The Ministry of Transport is studying specialised inland waterway vessels for container transportation that are suitable for the specific infrastructure of each inland waterway (Photo: VietnamPlus)
Hanoi (VNA) – The Ministry of Transport (MoT) will adopt a host of measures to step up freight transportation through waterway and railway in order to save costs, ensure traffic safety and reduce the burden on roads.
Ample waterway transport corridors
Over the past more than a decade, the rapid development of the national road system has better satisfied the public needs. However, passenger and freight transport in Vietnam excessively rely on roads due to its flexibility and time-saving advantages compared to other modes of transport.
This puts pressure on the transportation infrastructure, affecting traffic safety and road quality.
Aware of the importance of waterway and railway transport in reducing the burden on roads, the MoT submitted five master plans to the Prime Minister. Four out of five national master plans for road, maritime, railway, and inland waterway transportation have been issued.
According to the MoT, the master plan on inland waterway infrastructure during the 2021-2030 period, with a vision towards 2050, plays a crucial role in developing waterway transportation.
The development of infrastructure involves connecting with key gateway seaports, major seaports in special economic zones and inland container depots (Photo: VietnamPlus)
Accordingly, there are six projects that will use State budget during the 2021-2030 period, including the upgrade of the waterway transport route on the Duong River (Duong railway bridge project), the WB6 project - additional funding phase (canal connecting Day-Ninh Co rivers), the upgrade of the Quang Ninh-Hai Phong-Thai Binh-Nam Dinh-Ninh Binh waterway route across the Luoc River (waterway corridor No. 2); the upgrade of the Viet Tri-Yen Bai waterway transport route (Red River), and others.
The MoT will also develop infrastructure and connect them with key seaports, major seaports in special economic areas and inland container depots (ICDs). They will also develop container and sea-river transportation routes and expand specialised vessel fleets. These efforts aim to enable large-tonnage vessels to access inland waterways more extensively.
It also encourages investment in developing port systems in clusters, with maximum connectivity to roadways and dry ports, creating conditions for the establishment of large-scale terminal ports with modern loading and unloading technologies. The goal is to form inland waterway logistics centres and join in multimodal transportation.
In the coming time, the MoT will focus on launching nine waterway transport corridors in the master plan for inland waterway infrastructure to fully tap the advantages of inland waterway. Furthermore, it will also issue mechanisms and policies to develop coastal transportation in the best possible way.
North-south hi-speed rail construction scheduled
To alleviate the burden on road transportation, the MoT proposed increasing mid-term public investment, prioritising investment in several major railway projects to reduce logistics costs during the 2021-2025 period.
With the railway network master plan for the 2021-2030 period with a vision to 2050, the focus is not only on upgrading existing railways but also on building the north-south hi-speed railway and interconnecting railways to optimise the transportation of goods and passengers effectively.
Railway transportation will gradually become better in a modern, cost-effective, fast, safe and eco-friendly manner (Photo: VietnamPlus)
The priority project list includes those with a focus on connectivity, such as the railway connecting Hai Phong with Lach Huyen port, another linking Vietnam with China in the Lao Cai-Hekou border area, and the construction of a railway line from Trang Bom in the southern province of Dong Nai to Cai Mep-Thi Vai port.
The railway transportation will be elevated step by step to become modern, cost-effective, fast, safe and eco-friendly, capable of handling large-volume long-distance and medium-distance freight, as well as operating long-haul and inter-provincial passenger services, said a MoT leader.
In the coming time, the MoT will continue directing agencies and units to reduce the share of road transportation and increase the share of inland waterway and railway transportation, he added./.
