People’s Council expresses concern over construction, illegal racing

Ho Chi Minh City People’s Council deputies voiced their stress about sinkholes, public construction projects and illegal motorbike racing at yesterday’s question and answer session of the ongoing 19th meeting of the city People’s Council.

In response to complaints that many sinkholes have emerged on roads in the city but no one has taken responsibility for them, director of the HCMC Department of Transport Tran Quang Phuong said 57 sinkholes have emerged, and only 21 of them were caused by roadworks.

He attributed the causes of the collapse of roads to poor infrastructure, massive exploitation of underwater, climate change, poor construction and traffic overload.

He affirmed that re-paving roads [after completion of underground sewage infrastructure projects] was not the cause.

Not only the Transport Department but also other seven units have to take responsibility for the 57 sinkholes, he added.

Deputy Vo Van Sen said Mr. Phuong didn’t point out the main cause of the collapse and concrete responsibilities.

He said the department’s report on sinkholes is not satisfactory. There should be a comprehensive and independent inspection on this problem by a science agency to find out causes, responsibilities and measures to overcome it.

Deputy Nguyen Dang Nghia said, “The deputy head of the city’s Construction Department has ever said that roads are usually re-paved at night when there is no supervision by the community so quality of the re-paving is entrusted to contractors.”

Mr. Nghia said If thing is like what the deputy head said, what Mr. Phuong was based on to affirm that the re-paving was not the cause of the collapse.

In addition, to identify the cause, relevant agencies need time to measure and examine the sinkholes, but the sinkholes were filled in right after they appeared, he added.

Deputy Duong Van Nhan said at the “Talk and Do” program on December 5, Mr. Phuong blamed the collapse to the exploitation of underwater by the city’s Department of Natural Resources and Environment, but the department’s head Dao Anh Kiet didn’t admitted it.

“So, who is right?” Mr. Nhan added.

Speaking at the meeting, Mr. Kiet said the underwater exploitation can’t cause such sinkholes.

The department has inspected five areas where underwater has been exploited, and not found any causal relation between the exploitation and sinkholes, he added.

Deputy head of the Construction Department Nguyen Van Hiep said, “There are many reasons causing early 60 sinkholes on roads, but one of them is technically poor re-paving.”

Mr. Hiep pledged to work with relevant departments to identify causes within six months.

Public construction projects

Thai Van Re, director of the city’s Department of Planning and Investment, said the city’s investment efficiency of projects is higher than the nation’s, and it has contributed to the city’s socioeconomic development and improvement of poor infrastructure.

He said many projects were finished in 2006-2010.

Deputy Dang Van Khoa said the investment efficiency can’t be listed in finished projects but quality of projects.

Deputies agreed with Mr. Khoa that the city’s investment efficiency must be evaluated via the socioeconomic efficiency, not the number of projects.

According to deputies, some projects took too much time to finish, for instance the construction of the Hoang Hoa Tham Bridge took 12 years, while some were finished but have yet to be put into operation due to their poor quality, and the city has had to spend further funds on fixing them.

Illegal motorbike racing

Phan Anh Minh, deputy head of the HCMC Police, said illegal motorbike racing has increased since early 2010, with many racing lasting to 5-6 am.

Deputy Khoa asked the HCMC Police that “Why does illegal motorbike racing on city streets remain a problem as it was a hot issue at the HCMC People’s Council meeting in 1999? What measures have the Police adopted to curb it?”

Mr. Minh said motorbike racing has happened since before 1975 not over ten years ago. This problem can’t be dealt immediately because there are always younger generations who will participate in illegal racing.

The Government, agencies and organizations need to join hands to curb it, he added.

He said there should be solutions to improve people’s life quality and intellectual standards to have success in curbing.