Bus stations are quiet, passenger buses pick up and drop off spontaneously outside
Trung Khanh District Bus Station was built with the goal of serving the travel needs of local people and tourists when coming to Ban Gioc Waterfall, Nguom Ngao Cave tourist area or the trade route through the border gate system.
Located in a favorable location, right near the administrative center of Trung Khanh town, the bus station was once considered an indispensable part of the local planning for the development of transport infrastructure and urban areas.
However, after completing the basic infrastructure, the project quickly fell into a state of "cold". For many consecutive years, the bus station has had almost no passenger transport activities. Passenger bus routes from Chongqing to Cao Bang city or other districts mainly pick up and drop off passengers at spontaneous points outside, while the official wharf is closed and there are no guards.
Actual records show that the bus station area has been turned into a place to gather construction materials. On the 1,000m2 site, excavators, garbage trucks and some personal cars appear frequently.
A 100-ton electronic weighing station for trucks and containers was also set up right in the wharf area. The "Trung Khanh District Bus Station" badge still exists but the entire bus station does not have a single bus, instead it is chaotic and shabby. The operating house is always closed and rarely opens.
According to the decision to re- announce Trung Khanh District Bus Station on April 12, 2023 announced by the Cao Bang Department of Transport, this bus station is managed and operated by Dinh Van Construction and Trading Company Limited. The bus station belongs to type 6 bus station operating in the area, with a total area of 1,000m2.
The completed bus station is almost inactive
On the system of announcing land use planning until 2030 of Trung Khanh district (approved in Decision No. 963/QD-UBND dated May 30, 2024), the bus station area is still identified as traffic land. However, in reality, this land is being used as land for production and business.
Some people in Trung Khanh town reported that this situation has lasted for nearly ten years, but have not seen any new measures or handling from the government.
"People now want to pick up passenger buses and have to call first and wait on the road, which is dangerous and causing traffic chaos, not looking good at all. Meanwhile, the bus station has been almost abandoned for many years," said a resident.
Talking with reporters, Mr. Tang Quoc Doan - Head of the Department of Infrastructure and Urban Economics of Trung Khanh district - informed: "The bus station was built a long time ago, to know the details, it is necessary to review the documents, currently there is still a bus station operator here".
What makes many people confused here is the recovery of a large area of rice fields, then the construction of a bus station and then almost abandoned for many years while many places in Cao Bang currently lack land for public projects - from schools, medical stations to bus stops in remote areas.
Through the investigation of PV, 2025 is determined to be the year Trung Khanh town completes the goal of achieving the criteria of a type IV urban area, Tra Linh town basically completes the criteria of a type V urban area, some criteria for achieving a type IV urban area. However, in this border town, there are still a series of shortcomings with some construction works being slow to reach the finish line or being completed but not effective, of which Trung Khanh district bus station is an example.
