SGTT.VN - According to Dr. Pham Xuan Mai, Traffic Department of HCMC University of Technology (unit is developing plans of waterway network transport in HCM), except to spread out burden of road, river bus network when completed will contribute to the civilization of modern urban in HCMC. And Mr. Nguyen Kim Toan, director of Daily Company (passenger transportation unit by waterways) is more "positive" than, if the river bus operates at the route Tau Hu - Ben Nghe or Nhieu Loc - Thi Nghe, Ho Chi Minh City will be known as famous city with a river flow around urban in Europe!

Despite of be enhanced and pursued it for years, but now the river-bus is not performed. Why?

Cannot be done

According to Mr. Toan, from 2005, Daily Company has had the idea of ​​making two river bus lines. And this idea into reality when in the middle of 2010, Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee has approved it for his company researched two waterway routes; a route along the Saigon River connecting the two sites Lin Đông (Thu Duc) and Bach Dang Wharf (district 1) and another route along Ben Nghe canal- Tau Hu connection with Bach Dang Wharf in district 8. Both routes are 11km length, if including the time to stop for picking up, just need 30 minutes to complete the route. It takes only 2/3 of the time compare with the road route. According to Daily Company, to pilot two river bus routes, the company must invest four multipurpose passenger terminals and eight stations to embark/disembark passengers. And in the first period, eight boats will be equipped with capacity of 80 passengers / ship, capable of carrying 10,000 passengers / day.

According to Mr. Toan, everything has been smooth until negotiations to find land to build shelters and piers. "On the river bus lines going through, with the support from some districts and no support from others districts, under the guidelines of the city, the business must negotiate to compensate, so we just do get lost," Mr. Toan stressed in his saying

With these problems, around mid-2012, the city had a policy to assign Samco Company cooperate with Daily Company to research this project again. Since then, the river bus not only become difficult but also become impossible task. From talking to reporters on June 5^th, Deputy Director of Samco Company, Mr. Pham Quoc Tai, said so far this unit has determined to let go, "because they have no way to find land for construction of piers, wharves ".

Demanding from public - private!

With Samco’s opinion, to encourage the enterprises operating in the field of waterway transport invest in types of river bus, besides research policy, city has set policies incentives, and city must make clearance and provide ground to build piers. Only state agency has full rights, remedies sufficient to create land fund, especially in areas where land is extremely precious as District 1.

As Saigon Tiep Thi newspaper has reported on the date of 5^th June.2013, waterway traffic management office, the Department of Transport & Traffic of HCM City said that in the period 2013 to 2015, the city will planning to build 18 piers and stations to service waterways traffic - river tourism. "This is the condition for business as Daily Company takes full advantages of available piers, stations to implement project of river bus?" Answer the question; Mr. Toan said that " the problem has been misunderstood."

According to Mr. Toan, investment into river bus project, besides the piers, we have to think about vehicles, gasoline prices as well as consumption habits of people. In particular, the investment into vehicle consumes a huge amount, while gasoline fluctuations, people should calculate damages when choosing river bus. Therefore, if we base on passenger transportation to return the fund and be lucrative, no business does dare to invest. Consequently, the purpose of the service operators is in the shelters, piers such as selling souvenirs, coffee, and restaurant ... to compensate for operating of river bus.

"If we want the river bus routes to operate, there is the combination between government & private. State creates land fund and socialize investment in the construction of wharves, bus shelters. Thus, both businesses have been encouraged and not to use lots of budget. If not, either private investors or the government to cover losses "said Mr. Toan.

Earlier, talking to reporters of Saigon Tiep Thi Newspapers, Mr. Dang Qua Hai, Deputy Manager of waterway management office - Transportation & Traffic Department of HCMC said that besides researching some routes of river bus, the Department is also calling for investment mechanisms particularly

Đào Lê

SGTT

Source: sgtt.vn/Thoi-su/178380/Buyt-duong-song-cong-tu-can-hop-tac.html