The bridge on HCM City’s first metro line spanning the Sài Gòn River. Building a self-driving tram line running on canals is proposed to help reduce congestion in the Tân Sơn Nhất airport’s vicinity. — VNA/VNS Photo An Hiếu

HCM CITY — A private investor has proposed to build a self-driving tram line running on HCM City’s canals to reduce congestion near Tân Sơn Nhất airport.

According to the city’s Department of Transport, the line would run between Tân Sơn Nhất Airport in Tân Bình District and Đầm Sen Cultural Park in District 11.

It would have a length of nearly 30km and an estimated cost of about VNĐ20 trillion (US$780 million).

Phan Công Bằng, deputy director of the municpal Department of Transport, said the department has sent a document to the city’s Department of Planning and Architecture and the Urban Railway Management Board to seek their opinions on the proposal of the Hà Nội-based Thạch Bàn Park JSC.

The work is planned to be carried out in three phases.

The first phase will be from the airport to Nguyễn Kiệu Islet in District 4 with a length of 12.7km running along Nhiêu Lộc-Thị Nghè Canal.

In the second phase, it will be extended from the islet to Bà Tàng Bridge in District 8, a distance of 5.7km, along Đôi Canal.

The third phase is an 11.5km section from Bà Tàng Bridge to the intersection of Hoàng Văn Thụ and Út Tịch streets along Tân Hóa Canal and Lạc Long Quân Street.

According to the company, the work is expected to proceed smoothly since it will run along canals, therefore, there is no problem with land acquisition and clearance challenges.

It would mainly be built of steel, allowing mass production in factories to speed up progress, it said.

Self-driving trams have the advantage of switching lanes easily compared to monorails, and the cost is also lower, it said.

The work is expected to be completed in five years.

It would address congestion near the airport while also helping develop the city's urban rail network, it said.

The main stations will be connected to the metro system.

The city plans to build eight metro routes and three tram lines with a total length of 220km at an estimated cost of $25 billion.

The first metro line between Bến Thành Market in District 1 and Suối Tiên Theme Park in Thủ Đức city is almost complete, with the latest plan saying it should be put into operation this year, and work has started on the second. It is funded by official development aid loans and the Government.

The remaining lines are in the planning stage. There have been no specific plans for the tram lines. — VNS