HCM City (VNS/VNA) - A decisionto implement a programme to reduce traffic congestion and accidents by 2020 hasbeen signed by Tran Vinh Tuyen, Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh CityPeople’s Committee.

The programme will include 97 projects that willinclude building new roads and a public transportation system.

The projects will cost a total of 96.15 trillionVND (4.12 billion USD), and will be mostly funded by the State, the city, andofficial development assistance (ODA).

Ten out of 97 projects costing 8.26 trillion VND(354 million USD) will be built under Public-Private Partnership contracts.

Under the programme, the city is expected to putinto use 33.5 km of new roads and 14 new bridges by the end of this year.

In 2019, an additional 75 kilometres of roadsand 17 bridges will be built, and in 2020, 18 bridges and 81 km of roads willbe added.

The programme has set a goal of reducing thenumber of fatalities and injuries caused by traffic accidents by 5 percent by2020.

In the 2018-20 period, the city will focus ondeveloping its public transportation system, which is expected to meet 15 percentof transport needs of residents by 2020.

The city will also expand new public bus routesthat connect to new urban areas and industrial parks in the city, and link TanSon Nhat International Airport with neighbouring provinces.

New bus routes to transfer students to schoolsand universities across the city will be established as well.

The city has prioritised public transport,including new bus stations and upgrading old ones, installing supervisorysystems at stations, and setting up motorbike parking lots for passengers whouse public transport.

It also expects to complete the use of smartcards for all public buses by 2020.-VNS/VNA