Urban railways are a crucial solution for reducing traffic congestion and promoting sustainable development in major cities like Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. The Ministry of Justice has just announced a draft resolution by the National Assembly to pilot special mechanisms and policies for developing urban railway systems in these two cities until 2035.
The Nhổn – Hanoi section has been commercially operational on its elevated route (Photo: Thành Đông).
Special Mechanisms for Fund Mobilization
The draft proposes several flexible mechanisms to mobilize funds for urban railway projects. Key highlights include:
- Issuing Government Bonds: The Prime Minister is authorized to issue bonds to supplement the budget if state budget funds do not meet the required progress.
- Using Increased Revenue and Cost Savings: Other legal sources of funding can be utilized without adhering to current priority orders.
- Attracting ODA and Preferential Loans: The Prime Minister may decide to mobilize Official Development Assistance (ODA) or foreign preferential loans without needing to propose specific projects.
Additionally, the central government will balance and allocate targeted funds to local budgets during medium-term public investment plans. The People’s Committee of the city is responsible for allocating local budget funds to implement pre-project activities.
Streamlining Investment Procedures
To accelerate project timelines, the draft allows the People’s Committee of the city to immediately undertake project planning, evaluation, and investment decisions without complex procedures. This helps shorten implementation times and provides more favorable conditions for projects.
The People’s Committee can also divide projects into smaller components without following construction regulations. In cases where project implementation time is extended without increasing the total investment, the People’s Committee does not need to adjust procedures.
Specific Regulations for Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City benefits from certain unique regulations aimed at increasing flexibility in management and infrastructure development. Specifically:
- The People’s Committee of Ho Chi Minh City can decide on local adjustments to the overall urban plan and specialized infrastructure planning.
- The city can apply architectural and social infrastructure standards different from national norms, provided they align with the overall plan.
- All additional revenue from increased floor area, land value, and infrastructure improvement fees within TOD areas will be used to develop urban railways.
Metro Line 1 in Ho Chi Minh City achieves high efficiency after its launch (Photo: Hải Long).
Why Special Mechanisms Are Needed?
The implementation of urban railway lines in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City since 2007 has been slow, failing to meet development needs and reduce traffic load. Currently, Hanoi only operates Line 2A (Cat Linh – Ha Dong) and the elevated portion of Line 3 (Nhon – Hanoi Station), while Ho Chi Minh City has only launched Line 1 (Ben Thanh – Suoi Tien).
Metro Line 1 in Ho Chi Minh City (Photo: Nam Anh).
According to the Ministry of Transport, special mechanisms and policies are necessary to expedite progress, mobilize resources, and create a more transparent legal framework.
Conclusion
Piloting special mechanisms and policies for urban railway development in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City is essential to address traffic congestion and improve residents’ quality of life. These policies not only help shorten project timelines but also facilitate better fund mobilization and planning management. Let’s support these initiatives to build modern and sustainable cities.
Source:
Dantri.com.vn
