HCM CITY — Ports in Cát Lái Area in HCM City’s District 9 cannot be expanded because they are surrounded by residential areas just as they were 20 years ago when they had been located in inner districts.

Residents on Đồng Văn Cống Street (in District 2), which runs to Tân Cảng Port, say the road is always filled with container and other trucks.

According to figures from the city transport department, around 20,000 container and other trucks carry goods daily to and from Tân Cảng Port, the largest container port in Việt Nam and one where half of all containers coming into or leaving the country complete customs clearance.

Tân Cảng – Cát Lái Port is located near the Citihome apartment project.

Tân Cảng – Phú Hữu Port and SP – ITC International Container Terminal on Nguyễn Duy Trinh Street also face a similar problem. SP – ITC International Container Terminal overlooks the Dragon Village housing project, whose construction started recently. It will have 605 villas and apartments when completed. Many private houses have also been built in the area.

Most roads going to these ports are small and narrow. Nguyễn Duy Trinh Street has just two lanes, making it difficult for two container trucks to pass each other.

Locals also say they feel very unsafe when faced with such heavy traffic.

Hoàng Minh Trí, a former chief of the Institute of Urban Planning of HCM City, said development of residential areas caused problems to residents and ports in the Cát Lái area.

After the widening of Interprovincial Road No 25B and construction of Mỹ Thuỷ Intersection in the area, authorities now plan to widen Nguyễn Duy Trinh Street.

According to Nguyễn Văn Tâm, deputy director of the city Department of Transport, authorities have visited Nguyễn Duy Trinh Street and hired contractors for the work. But the work is likely to be delayed since it will cost VNĐ1 trillion (over US$44 million), including VNĐ600 billion for land compensation on a 1.5km section from the HCM City Beltway No 2 to the SP–ITC International Container Terminal and Tân Cảng – Phú Mỹ Port.

As for ports, they say being in the middle of congested residential areas affects their efficiency.

Bùi Văn Quân, chairman of the HCM City Association of Cargo Transportation, which handles cargo transportation to and from the city’s ports like Tân Cảng–Cát Lái, Tân Cảng–Phú Hữu, and SP–ITC International Container Terminal, said the traffic congestion not only increased transport costs but also affected the productivity of container and other trucks, which can make only one and not two trips a day.                 

"This is one of the main reasons that have made logistics costs in Việt Nam 20 per cent higher than in many neighbouring countries," he said. — VNS