BÌNH DƯƠNG — More than 600 local and international traffic experts and policymakers are expected to take part in the 12th International Conference of the Eastern Asia Society for Transportation Studies (EASTS) in HCM City and Bình Dương Province next week.

Speaking at a press conference in Bình Dương Province on Thursday, Khuất Việt Hùng, vice chairman of the National Committee for Road Safety, said that measures to address traffic problems among EASTS-member countries would be discussed at the meeting.

Hùng, head of the conference’s organising committee, said the biennial event would promote transport research cooperation among EASTS-member countries.

This year, the National Committee for Road Safety is combining the EASTS conference and an annual traffic safety conference in HCM City and Bình Dương Province.

The conference in HCM City is themed “Vision and Action Programme for Safe, Green and Integrated Transport”. It will discuss management of personal vehicles, application of intelligent transport systems (ITS), traffic safety for vulnerable commuters like motorbikes drivers and pedestrians, public transport development, and sustainable transport development that adapts to climate change.

The theme of the conference in Bình Dương is “Bình Dương: Vision of a Safe Transport System, a Smart City”. It will focus on road safety management, responses after traffic accidents, railway safety and inland waterway safety.

Short-term and long-term solutions for sustainable transport development in the province will also be discussed.

In recent years, Bình Dương has achieved significant economic growth, investment attraction, urbanisation and transport development, according to Hùng.

Bình Dương has paid special attention to developing an advanced road infrastructure and has worked closely with agencies and experts to improve the standard of living for residents.

“When it comes to improving transport infrastructure, only big cities are usually considered. But Bình Dương Province was chosen to organise the conference because it plays an essential role in connecting with HCM City and other big cities in the southern region,” Hùng told Việt Nam News.

The development of transport infrastructure in Bình Dương provides examples for other provinces like Long An and Đồng Nai and Vũng Tàu City to follow, he added.

Trần Thanh Liêm, vice chairman of Bình Dương Province’s People’s Committee, said participants at the conference will tour major transport projects in the province.    

In HCM City, participants will tour the Underground Metro Construction Site (metro Line No. 1), including the Bến Thành Market underground station and the Centre for an Intelligent Transport System at the HCM–Trung Lương Highway.

Hùng said that transport solutions relied on many fields, including construction, engineering, health, education, communication, law-making and enforcement. To ensure safety, rapid information collection and processing are needed before making decisions.

Scientific research and technological applications, especially information technology, have become more urgent than ever.

EASTS seeks to foster and support excellence in transportation research and practice, and to stimulate professional exchange in all aspects and modes of transport among members.

EASTS was founded in 1994 as a result of a meeting held in Japan with experts in transportation from East Asian countries. They included Việt Nam, Australia, Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand, among others.

In 2001, under the sponsorship of the Ministry of Transport, the Việt Nam Road and Bridge Association organised the 4th EASTS conference in Hà Nội. — VNS