Vietnamplus

Eight more traffic hotspots have cropped up in Hanoi despite the city’s efforts to improve infrastructure.

The 6.2-km Hai Van Tunnel 2 – the longest road tunnel in Southeast Asia, connecting the central province of Thua Thien-Hue and Da Nang city, is very near completion after the final section was excavated.

When the Tet (Vietnamese Lunar New Year) holiday falls on a weekend, workers should still enjoy the following Monday and Tuesday as paid public holidays, business associations said at a workshop on revisions to the Labour Code on May 14.

Although long vaThecations might affect production and business activities, many business associations still propose maintain the regulation of allowing workers to have paid days off for Tet holiday.

The construction of a bridge spanning Hoa River and linking the northern port city of Hai Phong to neighbouring Thai Binh province began on May 9.

Buon Ma Thuot city, capital of Dak Lak province, is set to become the central city of the Central Highlands region by 2030.

The revival of the Vietnam National Shipping Lines (Vinalines) along with infrastructure will be a basis to help the country’s maritime giant to continue its ‘sailing’.

Hanoi’s first metro project, the Cat Linh-Ha Dong elevated railway, will officially run in April following many delays, according to Deputy Minister of Transport Nguyen Ngoc Dong.

The Hung Ha bridge, linking the Red River delta provinces of Hung Yen and Ha Nam, and connection roads to Hanoi-Hai Phong expressway will be open to traffic on January 26, according to the project investor - the Management Board of Thang Long project.​

Hanoi’s Department of Transport has planned to switch four major bus stations in the inner city, including Gia Lam, My Dinh, Giap Bat and Nuoc Ngam, into car parks and inner-city bus interchanges by 2020.

Vietnam’s import tax on complete built-up units from ASEAN was reduced to zero percent as from Jan. 1 this year. The accord helps reduce the prices of imported cars, meeting consumers’ aspiration.

Minister of Transport Nguyen Van The has decided to stop the project on expanding part of National Highway No 30, running through the southern provinces of Dong Thap and Tien Giang.

Although Hanoi is one of the country’s biggest cities, its system for removing broken-down vehicles from crowded roads is ineffective, traffic users and experts said.

Hanoi plans to build 14 bridges crossing the Red and Duong Rivers in the city from now to 2030, revealed Vu Duy Tuan, Deputy Director of the municipal Department of Planning and Investment.

Ho Chi Minh City will not grant licences to high-rise construction projects on roads and in areas where planned infrastructure projects have not been completed in an effort to relieve congestions.

The Hanoi Police Department has proposed moving the Hanoi Railway Station and all the inter-provincial rail tracks to the suburbs to avoid traffic congestion and fatal accidents in the inner city.

HCM City expects to launch the first river bus route as soon as early July, connecting the Bach Dang Wharf in District 1 with Thu Duc District, according to the municipal Department of Transport.

In a move to relieve traffic pressure and environment pollution, Hanoi is considering banning motorbikes entirely by 2030, as well as other measures like fee collection in rush hours and stricter regulations on app-based ride hailing services.

The PM decided on the final investment plan for the ambitious 1,372-km North-South expressway project, which will cost 13.6 billion USD over three phases spanning from 2017 to 2028 and beyond.

Grab Vietnam debuted its carpool service GrabShare in Ho Chi Minh City on May 9, a move hoped to help relieve local traffic pressure.