A ferry boat in Cần Giờ District. The Department of Transport has proposed developing a sea ferry route connecting HCM City with Tiền Giang Province by 2024. — Photo courtesy of Quốc Chánh Company Limited

HCM CITY — The HCM City Department of Transport has proposed developing a sea ferry route connecting the city with Tiền Giang Province by 2024.

Under a proposal submitted to the People’s Committee, the ferry route will span 12km, enabling travel between HCM City’s Cần Giờ District and Tiền Giang Province’s Gò Công Đông District in just 30 minutes.

With an estimated investment of VNĐ114 billion sourced from the private sector, the ferry will have a capacity of over 250 passengers, 100 motorbikes, and 15 cars. There will be four trips per day.

The department will select an enterprise responsible for managing the transportation of vehicles and renting the ferry terminal, according to the proposal.

Cần Giờ District currently has three ferry routes connecting it to Nhà Bè District (HCM City), Cần Giuộc District (Long An Province), and Vũng Tàu (Vũng Tàu city).

However, the current ferry route between Cần Giờ District and Tiền Giang Province is operated by wooden boats with low capacity, and cannot transport cars.

The proposed ferry route is expected to improve connectivity between the city and Mekong Delta region, especially Tiền Giang Province.

It will help reduce the distance between HCM City and Tiền Giang Province by 40km, and save travel time by 40-50 minutes.

The ferry will also promote tourism in Cần Giờ District and enhance waterway connections between Cần Giờ District and neighbouring provinces. — VNS