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Ho Chi Minh City launched its first metro line after 17 years of planning and delays, with thousands of excited residents flocking to ride the metro.
The $1.7 billion, 20 km long project, largely financed by Japanese loans, was originally approved in 2007 with a budget of $668 million, but has faced major obstacles over the years. The metro aims to alleviate traffic congestion and pollution in the city of nine million.
The city was one of the last major urban centers in Asia that did not have a subway Nikkei Asia.
The opening of Ho Chi Minh City’s first metro line (HCMC) has generated much excitement among residents, with hundreds queuing at Ben Thanh station for a free test ride.
The city, burdened with 8.4 million motorcycles and increasing road congestion from cars and trucks, urgently needed a mass rapid transit solution to alleviate its traffic chaos, local residents said.
The project faced a number of challenges, including a lack of funding from the Vietnamese government, prompting Japanese contractors to escalate their concerns through the Japanese embassy in Vietnam, The Bangkok Post reports, citing government reports.
Rising costs required repeated approvals from Vietnam’s parliament, the agency reported — a process that proved excruciatingly slow.
The subway line runs from the historic Ben Thanh Market in District 1 to the suburbs of Thu Duc City, ending at Suoi Tien Amusement Park in District 9 in HCMC. Fares range from VND6,000 to VND20,000 (£0.19 to £0.63), although rides are free for the first 30 days of official operation, which began on Sunday.
The service will make 200 trips a day.
Reactions to the new subway in Ho Chi Minh City ranged from enthusiasm to sarcasm. A VnExpress a reader praised her beauty – “she is so beautiful. I can’t wait to try it” – as the Facebook user wittily noted that while the world has reached the moon, HCMC is just getting its first subway.
The city plans six additional lines, but funding remains a challenge.
“I know (the project) is late, but I still feel so honored and proud to be among the first in this subway,” said official Nguyen Nhu Huyen.
“Our city is now equal to other big cities in the world,” she added.
Last year, Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung called on the central government to address the financing of future projects.
Although it is being hailed as a milestone, experts say its short-term impact on traffic could be limited due to only 14 stations. said Professor Vu Minh Hoang from Fulbright University in Vietnam AFP that the metro line’s “impact on traffic relief will be limited in the short term”. However, he said it was still a “historic achievement for the city’s urban development.”
The metro “meets the growing travel needs of residents and contributes to reducing traffic congestion and environmental pollution,” said Deputy Mayor Bui Xuan Cuong, but added that authorities had to overcome “countless hurdles” to get the project over the line.
Japan’s ambassador to Vietnam, Naoki Ito, said: “We hope this will set a good precedent for urban development in Vietnam and lead to further development of the country.”
Nguyen Thi Anh Hoa, director of Ho Chi Minh City’s Department of Tourism, said the metro line will boost tourism by offering “convenient connections” to cultural, historical and entertainment sites, creating a “complete journey for both local residents and international visitors”.
Additional agency reporting.