A mass transit system must be adequate to the needs and the purse of urban residents. All this is complex but it is a very important issue to be discussed during this seminar. How should a suitable, sustainable and affordable mass transit system be developed to ensure the continued growth HCMC? How should it be operated and maintained?
It is my sincere hope that we will share the common understanding by this discussion today. Finally, let me introduce two Japanese speakers at this discussion. The keynote speaker, Dr.Ieda, from Tokyo University and the second speaker, Dr.Shizuo Iwata, a long-time experienced consultant in urban and transportation sector, who is the Managing Director of the ALMEC Corporation, a full member of JTCA.
With all this said, I am sure that the participants will benefit considerably from the discussions of the speakers. I wish the seminar all success. Thank you very much.
2.2. Key Note Address by Prof. Hitoshi Ieda, Tokyo University
I am professor Ieda. My major is transportation planning and transportation engineering, including rail, air, shipping and road construction. But today, I would like to focus on rail development issue.
Motorcycles now overwhelm the largest cites in Vietnam like HCMC and Hanoi. That means your country already is in the first stage of the motorization. Although the traffic situation is not so tragic and serious at this moment, Vietnam will face, sooner or later, maybe within 10 years, the second step of the motorization. That means cars will replace most of the motorcycles. Please imagine what will happen when cars replace most of the motorcycles. Maybe you will face so terrible traffic congestion and environmental pollution. You have to do something this moment for the future.
I think, rail system can be one of the effective alternatives, which can be well incorporated with well organized feeder services like buses and small vehicles and strong city development policies and TDM (transportation demand management). Anyway, it is almost a worldwide common understanding that every large city should be equipped with large urban railway system.
However, it is also a common knowledge that rail development is not an easy job at all, and we must prepare and take care of financial system or organization system very well towards the realization of rail development.
What to do is almost clear; however, how to do it requires more our working time. Therefore I especially focus on realization, and my concluding point will be private and public partnership.
My presentation starts with the introduction of and then how to realize the rail system, and then Japan experiences of private-public partnership in urban rail system.
