Le Anh and Hong Phuc
The operation room of the Saigon River Tunnel Management Center. Cars and motorcycles using the tunnel have grown to 28,000 and 200,000 a day respectively from 15,000 cars and 100,000 motorcycles a day in previous years - PHOTO: HONG PHUC
The committee reported at a review meeting on traffic safety in 2015 and plans for 2016 in HCMC last week that last year 1,370 cargo transport firms had 11,467 vehicles in operation in the city, up 34% and 49% respectively from 2014.
The strong spike in container trucks was attributable to the Ministry of Transport’s strict controls on truck load, which forced enterprises to buy more vehicles. In the past, a majority of trucks were overloaded, which was blamed for the fast deterioration of roads.
Besides, the number of passenger transport firms in public transport service and tourism sectors rose to 664 firms with a total of 18,601 vehicles, up 9.2% and 27.2% against the previous year respectively.
Last year, the city had 52,345 more autos and 251,845 new motorcycles registered, bringing the total to 562,185 and 6.8 million respectively.
Traffic was often congested for hours on the roads leading to Cat Lai Port last year but the committee said there was no major traffic jams lasting more than 30 minutes.
To solve traffic jams on the roads leading to ports in the city, the HCMC Department of Transport will focus on completing procedures for construction of My Thuy intersection and Street No.1 that runs to Truong Tho port complex this year.
Many more vehicles use Saigon River Tunnel
The volume of vehicles using the Saigon River Tunnel connecting HCMC’s districts 1 and 2 went up by 30% in 2015 versus 2014 and the growth rate is still strong, according to the Saigon River Tunnel Management Center.
The center’s director Tran Chi Trung told the Daily last week that traffic density at the tunnel has increased sharply since the HCMC-Long Thanh-Dau Giay Expressway was connected at An Phu intersection in the city’s District 2.
The Saigon River Tunnel is part of the East-West Highway, which has seen a steady rise in traffic. Cars and motorcycles using the tunnel have grown to 28,000 and 200,000 per day respectively from 15,000 cars and 100,000 motorcycles in previous years.
The tunnel was designed to handle a maximum of 45,000 cars a day, with four motorcycles equivalent to one car. If vehicles crossing the tunnel are higher than its capacity, toll fee collection would be considered.
Luong Minh Phuc, head of the HCMC Urban-Civil Construction Investment Management Authority, said the tunnel is the first of its kind in the city and has shown its efficiency after four years of operation.
The tunnel was built by Japanese contractor Obayashi Corporation with a total length of 2,250 meters and six lanes including two for emergency. The tunnel section submerged under the river is 371 meters long and 33 meters wide.
Container trucks in city up strongly last year Related image(s)
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