Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung on February 25 issued a decisionapproving adjustments to the transport development strategy to 2020 witha vision to 2030.
Accordingly, by 2020, Vietnam’s transport system will basically meet the society’s demand, providingincreasingly improved quality at reasonable price. Traffic accidentswill be curbed and gradually reduced while environmental pollution willbe solved in cities and provinces.
The country willestablish an efficient system combining different modes oftransportation, contributing to helping Vietnam become anindustrialised country in 2020.
By 2020, thenational transport system is projected to carry 6.24 billion passengers,of which between 86 and 90 percent will be transported by land, 4.5-7.5percent by internal waterway, 1 to 2 percent by railway and 1-1.7percent by air. Total goods transport volume is estimated at 2.09billion tonnes, with 65-70 percent being transported by land, 17-20percent by internal waterway, 9-14 percent by sea, 1-3 percent byrailway and 0.1-0.2 percent by air.
In terms oftransport infrastructure, priority will be given to completing theupgrading and expansion of the North-South highway No. 1 with fourlanes, completing the entire Ho Chi Minh road and upgrading the sectionrunning through the Central Highlands region.
Theexisting North-South railway line will also be upgraded while moresurveys will be conducted to find feasible plans for a high-speedrailway line. The air route system will be developed with the two hubsbeing Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City .
The strategyalso sets a goal to develop urban transport infrastructure and publictransportation, with 16-26 percent of land to be designated for urbantransport.
In the near future, big cities will berequired to overhaul their bus networks, invest in mass transit systemssuch as elevated urban railways and metro lines to shoulder 25-30percent of public passenger transportation. At the same time, thedevelopment of private vehicles should be put under control, especiallyin Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.
In termsof rural transport development, the current road network should bemaintained and upgraded to meet the demand of industrialisation andmodernisation in rural areas. By 2020, 100 percent of inter-districtroads will be paved with asphalt or concrete, as will 70 percent ofinter-commune roads and 50 percent of inter-village roads. At the sametime, waterways transport will be developed in the Mekong Deltaregion.-VNA
