Da Nang to invest $70 million on new public bus network

• Da Nang seeks solutions to choking gridlock
• Da Nang remains big draw among holiday travelers

The central city of Da Nang is planning to spend $70.2 million on a bus rapid transit (BRT) system, Mai Dinh Khanh, an official from the city’s Department of Transport, said on Friday.

The network is expected to open in 2019 and cover three routes. Two will run from Da Nang International Airport to popular tourist spots Ba Na Hills and Hoi An ancient town in the nearby province of Quang Nam, while the other will run from Hoa Khanh Industrial Park in Da Nang’s Lien Chieu District to the Vietnam-South Korea Information Technology College in Ngu Hanh Son District.

The city plans to buy 66 new buses, including 36 BRT vehicles, and is in the process of establishing e-ticket systems and intelligent traffic signs.

As part of the infrastructure project, construction of a subway project began in the city center on December 29.

Da Nang has more than 1.1 million residents with about 60,000 cars and 800,000 motorcycles. The growing number of cars and motorcycles has led to traffic jams in the city center.

The explosion of new vehicles is stretching the city's infrastructure, and Da Nang’s population is forecast to reach 2.5 million by 2030, according to a survey by the Japan International Cooperation Agency.

In 2016, Da Nang received 5.51 million visitors, up 17.7 percent from 2015. Of the total, 1.67 million were foreigners, rising 31.6 percent year on year.

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