The new Eastern Bus Terminal will be put into operation in the first half of this month. — VNA/VNS Photo

HCM CITY— The new Eastern Bus Terminal in District 9 will open soon following two years of construction of the first phase of the project.

Võ Khánh Hưng, deputy chairman of the city’s Department of Transport, said the contractor was working with other units to complete the final steps to ensure the project would open before August 15.

Lê Văn Pha, deputy general director of the Sài Gòn Transportation Mechanical Corporation (SAMCO)- the contractor of the project, said the department had arranged three subsidised bus routes and three non-subsidised bus routes at the new terminal.

During the first phase of the project, the bus terminal will have 29 inter-provincial bus routes from HCM City to northern provinces, and will occupy half of the capacity compared to the current bus terminal.

In addition, the department has proposed to the District 9 People’s Committee the repair of Hoàn Hữu Nam Street, and streets No 3 and No 400 which connect to the new terminal.

Trần Chí Trung, head of the city’s public transport management centre, said the centre had upgraded 30 bus stops that lead to the new terminal.

In addition, the centre has built more 67 bus shelters on bus routes leading to the new terminal.

The Eastern Bus Terminal has an area of 16ha and is located in Long Bình Ward in District 9 and in the southern province of Bình Dương’s Dĩ An Town.

Construction on the new Eastern Bus Station project began on April 26, 2017, and is expected to become the most modern bus station project in the country, with full facilities and connection to the metro line No 1.

The new bus terminal is built as a complex with shopping mall, kid’s playground, food court and movie theatre.  

The total investment of the project of VNĐ4 trillion (US$172 million) includes VNĐ740 billion ($31.8 million) for phase 1.

The first phase includes the main station, parking spaces and infrastructure facilities.

The new terminal is designed to accommodate more than seven million passengers each year.

It will also provide services to some 21,000 passengers and accommodate 1,200 buses per day.

The figures are expected to increase to 52,000 passengers and 1,800 buses per day on holidays and during the traditional Tết (Lunar New Year) festival.

The new eastern bus terminal is expected to play an important role in the city’s transportation system and reduce traffic congestion and the number of accidents in the city. — VNS