A coach station in the central city of Danang costing VND135 billion (USD6.42 million) has already been deserted after being in operation for just months.
Gate of the station
The well-equipped Danang Southern Bus Station, whose investor is Duc Long Gia Lai Group, became operational in September, 2012.
Deputy Director of the station, Duong Tam, said initially, the station had 30 staff members, but now most of them are not working and are not receiving a salary. Only some security guards have been kept on to keep people out, he added.
He added that the station has the capacity to serve 500 coaches per day and that figure would double in the second phase if it were expanded in the future.
The station was aimed to ease overload for the Danang Central Bus Station but there were no passenger transportation routes being operated through the station, Tam said.
He noted that the location of the station was approved by Danang authorities, however the problem was that it was up to 13km away from the centre city of Danang. Meanwhile, site clearance had not yet been finished for 35 households in front of the station for a facade to be constructed.
The most important obstacle was that the municipal authorities had not yet decided to make coach routes for the Southern Danang Bus Station, Tam emphasised, suggesting that routes to provinces to the north of Danang should be distributed to the Danang Central Bus Station, meanwhile, those running to the localities to the south of the city should come to Danang Southern Bus Station.
“It is impossible for Southern Danang Bus Station to compete with the Danang Central Bus Station. Without the authorities’ support, the Danang Southern Bus Station will probably not become operational,” according to Mr. Tam.
Ticket takers
Station deserted
