Metro line No. 2 is under construction, Ben Thanh - Can Gio metro is accelerating, Ben Thanh - Thu Thiem metro is preparing to be formed. Along with that are a series of routes connecting Long Thanh airport, Binh Duong, and the Northwest area of the city being promoted for investment.
If in the past, the metro story was often associated with keywords such as "delayed progress", "excessive capital", "obstructed by mechanisms", now Ho Chi Minh City is ready to completely change the face of urban traffic.
But what is worth discussing is not only how many kilometers of railway have been built, but Ho Chi Minh City has begun to see the metro as a urban development strategy.
Over the years, the city has developed according to a model of dependence on motorbikes and private cars. As a result, traffic congestion is increasingly serious, logistics costs are increasing, the environment is affected, and land funds for roads are becoming increasingly limited.
The 255km long metro network by 2030 is a new development structure of the city. Metro connecting the center with Can Gio, Cu Chi, Binh Duong, Dong Nai, Tan Son Nhat airport and Long Thanh airport, Ho Chi Minh City's development space will be expanded unprecedentedly.
Workers living far from the center but still conveniently going to work, businesses have more choices in terms of production and business premises. Satellite urban areas have the opportunity to develop strongly, and population pressure on the inner city area is gradually shared.
It is encouraging that Ho Chi Minh City is boldly mobilizing social resources, attracting businesses to participate in investment. This is a suitable direction when the capital demand for the metro system is up to hundreds of trillions of VND.
However, mobilizing private capital is only a necessary condition, and a sufficient condition is a transparent, stable and consistent mechanism for investors to be assured of long-term companionship.
In addition, the development of TOD - a city associated with public transport - must be implemented substantively. Metros must not only carry passengers but also generate revenue from land, commerce, services and economic activities around the station.
Ho Chi Minh City is facing a great opportunity to adjust the urban structure and improve the competitiveness of the Southern key economic region.
But opportunities only have meaning when turned into real projects, because people have been waiting for a modern transportation system for too long.
Therefore, what people are most concerned about at this time is not beautiful planning documents or ambitious figures, but seeing firsthand the progress of each project in accordance with commitments and enjoying it in life.
