Ports in Cat Lai Area in HCM City’s District 9 cannot be expanded because they are surrounded by residential areas just as they were 20 years ago when they had been located in inner districts.

Residents on Dong Van Cong Street (in District 2), which runs to Tan Cang Port, say the road is always filled with container and other trucks.

According to figures from the city transport department, around 20,000 container and other trucks carry goods daily to and from Tan Cang Port, the largest container port in Viet Nam and one where half of all containers coming into or leaving the country complete customs clearance.

Tan Cang – Cat Lai Port is located near the Citihome apartment project.

Tan Cang – Phu Huu Port and SP – ITC International Container Terminal on Nguyen Duy Trinh Street also face a similar problem. SP – ITC International Container Terminal overlooks the Dragon Village housing project, whose construction started recently. It will have 605 villas and apartments when completed. Many private houses have also been built in the area.

Most roads going to these ports are small and narrow. Nguyen Duy Trinh Street has just two lanes, making it difficult for two container trucks to pass each other.

Locals also say they feel very unsafe when faced with such heavy traffic.

Hoang Minh Tri, a former chief of the Institute of Urban Planning of HCM City, said development of residential areas caused problems to residents and ports in the Cat Lai area.

After the widening of Interprovincial Road No 25B and construction of My Thuy Intersection in the area, authorities now plan to widen Nguyen Duy Trinh Street.

According to Nguyen Van Tam, deputy director of the city Department of Transport, authorities have visited Nguyen Duy Trinh Street and hired contractors for the work. But the work is likely to be delayed since it will cost VND1 trillion (over US$44 million), including VND600 billion for land compensation on a 1.5km section from the HCM City Beltway No 2 to the SP–ITC International Container Terminal and Tan Cang – Phu My Port.

As for ports, they say being in the middle of congested residential areas affects their efficiency.

Bui Van Quan, chairman of the HCM City Association of Cargo Transportation, which handles cargo transportation to and from the city’s ports like Tan Cang–Cat Lai, Tan Cang–Phu Huu, and SP–ITC International Container Terminal, said the traffic congestion not only increased transport costs but also affected the productivity of container and other trucks, which can make only one and not two trips a day.

"This is one of the main reasons that have made logistics costs in Viet Nam 20 per cent higher than in many neighbouring countries," he said. — VNS