The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Transport has completed a project imposing new charges on parking by motor vehicles on the municipality’s streets and sidewalks. According to the proposed pricing scheme, the fees are higher and calculated in a different way from the present one: by the hour instead of day or night, with the parking payment rate increasing progressively as hours pass. The maximum charge is VND40,000 (US$1.8) per hour, and reaches VND180,000 ($8) per turn for overnight parking, while the current charge is VND5,000 ($0.2) for one time of parking. The suggested fees are 10 to 20 percent higher than those set by the city’s parking facilities, for instance, underground parking lots of commercial centers and skyscrapers. The plan divides motor vehicles into two groups and treats them differently, the first consisting of vehicles with no more than nine seats and trucks weighing under 1.5 metric tons; and the second – vehicles with 10 to 16 seats and trucks weighing from 1.5 to 2.5 metric tons, which incur higher charges. Parking in the more central areas, Districts 1, 3 and 5, requires more money than in Districts 10 and 11. The project said that parking will be allowed in 35 streets, which will generate VND31 billion ($1.36 million) every month after the project has been implemented. How to use and allocate the money collected will be decided by the Department of Transport and relevant bodies in the project. The plan is due to try to obtain approval… [Read full story]
Deputy Chairman of Ho Chi Minh City Tran Vinh Tuyen yesterday proposed district to arrange a weekend market in Bach Dang Park along a Saigon River bank. As per the proposal, the fair will have 120 booths with four sections including for musical performance, a section to introduce Vietnamese products, a food area and a section for playing folk games. Enterprises sell food must pledge to sell food with clear origin for food safety. The weekend market will open 10 am to 10pm in Saturdays and Sundays.Mr. Thuan said the market will operate in the second quarter when the People’s…... [read more]
Ho Chi Minh City plans to develop 39 million square metres of housing and increase the average housing space per person to 17sqm during the 2011-15 period. In addition, the city aims to eliminate temporary housing and increase the rate of concrete houses to more than 75 per cent by 2015. It will also complete the task of relocating 13,000 households living on canals, rebuild 30 old apartment buildings with total new housing area of 350,000sqm for 6,500 households, and build about 10,000 houses for low-income people. By 2015, the city aims to meet the housing demand for city residents,…... [read more]
Ho Chi Minh City plans to spend VND36 trillion (US$2 billion) on transport projects this year as the government considers boosting construction spending to stimulate economic growth. The money will be spent on 37 projects, including a new subway line, an underground car park with 2,700 spaces, and highway extensions, Nguyen Huu Chanh, head of planning and investment at the city's Department of Transport, said by phone Thursday. Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung is considering the plan, which will mostly be funded by overseas aid, he added. The city may now be able to proceed with projects that were put…... [read more]
Ho Chi Minh City authorities are planning to establish separate areas for street food vendors along some 159 routes following the successful operation of its ‘food streets’ in the past months.Leaders of district-level administrations across the southern hub have proposed reserving specific zones for local street food sellers.Surveys are being carried out on 159 streets in the city to prepare for the potential establishment of such food hubs. The proposal is aimed at providing a legitimate place for vendors and ensuring order along city sidewalks.It follows the opening of the first ‘food streets’ on Nguyen Van Chiem Street and at Bach…... [read more]
Street vendors will no longer have to run away from road inspectors as Ho Chi Minh City authorities are going to allow them to run their business on designated sidewalks. Street vendors will no longer have to run away from road inspectors as Ho Chi Minh City authorities are going to allow them to run their business on designated sidewalks. Officials put forward a plan to move street vendors onto certain sidewalks in the city at a meeting on Monday between the People's Committee and the administrations of District 1 and District 4. "Re-organizing the city's sidewalks is unavoidable, but…... [read more]
