NGHỆ AN – The Central Bus Terminal, the most modern bus infrastructure worth roughly VNĐ100 billion (US$4,400) in this central province, has failed to attract passengers after four months of operation.

The Central Bus Station, located in Vinh City’s Vinh Tân Ward, was built on 19,340sq.m. of land and had the capacity to serve 1,000 buses per day.

The terminal, with total investment capital of nearly VNĐ 100 billion ($4,400), was invested in by the Central Region Investment and Development Joint Stock Company.

It was put into operation this September. However, it has received only a few buses each day, causing a monthly loss of VNĐ 1.5 billion ($66,000) for the investor.

According to the ministry of transport’s detailed plan of the national inter-provincial road transport, going into effect by 2030, the terminal should have nearly 100 fixed bus routes travelling from the province to other provinces. It was expected to enhance transport services and help relieve traffic congestion in Vinh City.

However, the terminal has been quiet since its first day of operations. Across the 18 ticket booths, no transactions have been seen.

Trần Văn Thành, general director of the Central Region Investment and Development JSC, told dantri.com.vn that the terminal was located far from the centre of the city, while there was no public transport from the centre of the city to the terminal.

As a result, passengers were forced to hire a taxi or motorbike taxi to get to the terminal. Due to the inconvenience, passengers preferred the old terminal in the central city.

Thành said the company had worked with transport enterprises and corporations and the city’s Department of Transport to connect more bus routes, but only a few dozen buses, mostly from the North to the South, had registered for parking.

On December 12, the company sent the document to the provincial People’s Committee, which said the company’s loss was caused by the unfairness of the committee serving transport enterprises.

Previously, the committee had decided to move Vinh Bus Terminal, which was located in the inner city, to the north of the city. The new terminal was built in 2012 to replace the old one, but the construction progress is still lagging behind schedule.

Meanwhile, the old terminal continues to operate. – VNS