Ho Chi Minh City has launched its first metro line after 17 years of planning and delays, with thousands of excited residents eager to experience the new service.
The $1.7 billion, 20-kilometer project, mostly funded by Japanese loans, was initially approved in 2007 with a budget of $668 million but faced significant challenges over the years. The metro is designed to alleviate traffic congestion and pollution in the city of 9 million people.
According to Nikkei Asia, Ho Chi Minh City was one of Asia’s last major urban centers without a metro system.
The opening of the first metro line in Ho Chi Minh City sparked great excitement, with hundreds of people queuing at the Ben Thanh station for a free test ride. Local residents, burdened by 8.4 million motorbikes and growing road congestion from automobiles and trucks, have long needed a mass rapid transit solution to ease traffic chaos.
The project faced numerous obstacles, including a funding shortage from the Vietnamese government, prompting Japanese contractors to escalate their concerns through the Japanese embassy in Vietnam, The Bangkok Post reported, citing government sources.
The rising costs required repeated approvals from Vietnam’s parliament, a slow and difficult process, according to the outlet.
The metro line stretches from the historic Ben Thanh Market in District 1 to the suburban Thu Duc City, ending at the Suoi Tien Amusement Park in District 9. Ticket prices range from 6,000 to 20,000 Vietnamese Dong (£0.19 to £0.63), though rides are free for the first 30 days of official operation, which began on Sunday. The service will run 200 trips daily.
Reactions to the metro’s launch have ranged from excitement to sarcasm. A VnExpress reader praised its beauty, saying, “it is so beautiful. I can’t wait to try it,” while a Facebook user humorously pointed out that while the world has reached the moon, HCMC is just getting its first metro.
The city plans six additional lines, but securing funding remains a challenge.
“I know it (the project) is late, but I still feel so very honoured and proud to be among the first on this metro,” said office worker Nguyen Nhu Huyen. “Our city is now on par with the other big cities of the world,” she added.
Last year, Planning and Investment Minister Nguyen Chi Dung urged the central government to address the financing for future projects.
While the metro is celebrated as a milestone, experts warn that its short-term impact on traffic may be limited due to the presence of only 14 station stops. Professor Vu Minh Hoang at Fulbright University Vietnam told AFP that the metro line’s “impact in alleviating traffic will be limited in the short run.” However, he acknowledged it as a “historic achievement for the city’s urban development.”
The metro “meets the growing travel needs of residents and contributes to reducing traffic congestion and environmental pollution,” said the city’s deputy mayor Bui Xuan Cuong, adding that the authorities had to overcome “countless hurdles” to complete the project.
Japanese ambassador to Vietnam, Naoki Ito, expressed hope that the project would “set a good precedent for urban development in Vietnam and lead to further development of the country.”
Nguyen Thi Anh Hoa, director of Ho Chi Minh City’s Department of Tourism, noted that the metro line would boost tourism by offering “convenient connections” to cultural, historical, and entertainment sites, creating “a complete journey for both local residents and international visitors.”
