The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Transport has said that it is doing bidding procedures to invite investors to develop a public passenger transport system by inland waterway.
So far Thuong Nhat Company has carried out research and built a project to develop the first two routes in the city.
According to the project, the first route will start from Bach Dang wharf, District 1, run up to Linh Dong ward, Thu Duc with a total length of 10.8 kilometers and seven stations.
The route will travel along Saigon river, reach Thanh Da canal, return back to the river before reaching Linh Dong ward.
The second one will depart from Bach Dang wharf for Lo Gom wharf in Ward 7 of District 6 along 10.3 kilometers with seven stations.
It will go along Saigon River, Ben Nghe and Tau Hu canals and dock at Lo Gom wharf.
Current regulations require that the project must be offered for tenders. Thuong Nhat Company will be prioritized if it has more effective and possible measures than that of other investors.
In case there is no business tendering for the project, the Department of Transport will ask the city People’s Committee’s permission to assign Thuong Nhat Company to carry out the project.
The department’s deputy director Le Hoang Minh said that it determined to open the two routes for service this year.
HCMC has an entangled river and canal system advantageous for waterway transport development.
If the waterway system is developed appropriately, it will efficiently share pressure with overloaded road system and contribute to tourist development, according to urban experts.
