Congestion concern raised over new bus station

Bui Danh Lien, deputy head of Hanoi Transport Association has expressed concerns over traffic congestion after the local authorities proposed to build Yen So Bus Station inside the city instead of the suburbs.

Bui Danh Lien, deputy head of Hanoi Transport Association has expressed concerns over traffic congestion after the local authorities proposed to build Yen So Bus Station inside the city instead of the suburbs.

  

Bui Danh Lien, deputy head of Hanoi Transport Association

Hanoi People's Committee has submitted the report about bus station and parking lot planning to 2030 with a view to 2050. Inter-provincial bus stations will be built or relocated to along main roads to the city, connecting to Ring Road 4.

However, in the planning, Hanoi authorities issued building permit to the 3.2-hectare Yen So Bus Station which will be located near Yen So Park and only 1km away from Nuoc Ngam Station.

Lien appreciated the move to relocate bus stations to the suburbs and the Yen So Station Project has many shortcomings.

"I'm afraid that with rapid urbanisation rate, this station will soon be surrounded by residential areas in just one to two years. It's also incomprehensible that this station is permitted to operate for 50 years when all stations must be moved out of the city as of 2030 in accordance with the plan," he said.

Lien said congestion would be unavoidable since both Giap Bat and Nuoc Ngam stations were nearby. He urged Hanoi authorities to reconsider the plan.

"Since the project is already approved, I think we can convert it into a truck terminal and when all stations are ordered to move out of the city, it must be moved out too in order to ensure fair play and healthy competition," he said.

Yen So Station is supposed to serve both passenger buses and trucks with capacity to accommodate 800-1,000 buses and 200 trucks a day.