HCM City (VNS/VNA) -  HCM City has invested ina number of mega transportation projects in 2016–20 aimed at reducing trafficcongestion, according to a report tabled at a meeting between a delegation fromthe city People’s Council and relevant agencies.

Phan Cong Bang, deputy director of the Department ofTransport said they include upgrades to 272km of roads and construction ofanother 68km, which have been completed, and 76 bridges that are expected to becompleted soon.

Other major works such as the Pham Van Dong Highway and PhuMy Bridge on the Eastern Beltway, the An Suong Intersection tunnel and the PhuMy Tunnel had also been completed, he said.

But the city found it difficult to mobilise investments intotransportation projects.

Bang said public funding available for the projects wereonly 12.6 trillion VND (about 542 million USD) or 27 percent of the requirement.

The chairwoman of the People’s Council, Nguyen Thi Le, saidsome of these transportation projects faced challenges and difficulties,especially with regard to compensation for lands

These include Beltway No 2 (the section from Go DuaIntersection in Thu Duc district to Pham Van Dong street) and widening of UngVan Khiem street (in Binh Thanh district).

The Department of Planning and Investment had also beeninstructed to consider 13 investment projects under the BT (build – transfer)form, and it had approved 10 of them, he said.

According to Tran Quang Lam, Director of the Department ofTransport, investments in the second section of the Binh Trieu Bridge and theTan Ky - Tan Quy Bridge were changed into BOT (build – operate – transfer) formfrom public projects.

Le urged all relevant agencies to facilitate and speed upconstruction of transportation projects, whether PPP (public – privatepartnership), BT or BOT, to ease traffic congestion.

She called on the transport department to resolve thedifficulties faced by a number of projects, especially if caused by theamendments to the Law on Public Investment.

She wanted the city Department of Natural Resources andEnvironment to have proper policies in place for land acquisition andresettlement to safeguard the rights of affected families and to ensure thereare no hurdles.

She also called on the planning department to ensure there issufficient public funding for the projects./.