A local company has left many scratching their heads after proposing to ease traffic congestion by ferrying travelers from nearby parks to Tan Son Nhat International Airport via cable car.
According to Tuoi Tre, the project was put forth by Bilco, the company which has built cable car systems at Vinpearl Nha Trang and Ba Na Hills outside of Da Nang. Vu Huy Thang, the firm's director, told the news source a cable car could connect the airport to Hoang Van Thu Park in Tan Binh District and Gia Dinh Park in Go Vap.
Tan Son Nhat is severely overloaded both inside and outside its facility, as there aren't enough parking spaces for planes on the tarmac, while surrounding streets are swamped with vehicles transporting passengers.
VnExpress reports the city government has proposed building a US$250 million metro line to the airport. Thang says the cable car would only cost about US$25 million and could be completed in 10 months. The company head also shared that the system would be able to ferry 3,000 people per hour to the aerodrome.
While Saigon is in desperate need of a solution to unclog Tan Son Nhat's roads and runways, the unorthodox cable car proposal has been blasted by transport experts. Pham Sanh, a specialist on the topic, told VnExpress that cable cars are only meant to be used in areas that automobiles cannot reach. "Would you drive with cable cars swinging above your heads?," he told the media source.
Meanwhile, on Sunday, the city launched another direct bus route to Tan Son Nhat, VnExpress reports. The 17.5-kilometer-long route runs from Mien Dong Bus Station in Binh Thanh District through the airport and on to An Suong Bus Station in Hoc Mon District. The buses run every 25-30 minutes from 5:30am to 8:25pm and cost VND7,000-10,000 per trip.
[Photo via City A.M.]
