The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has announced to offer new loan assistance of $4.2 million equivalent for infrastructure upgrades at stations along Hanoi’s metro line 3 to boost connectivity and services for the travelling public in the capital city of Vietnam.

The project’s civil works will include pedestrian subways and footbridges, bus stops, bus feeder links, dedicated taxi stands, park-and-ride facilities for two-wheeled vehicles and waiting areas for public transport service providers.

A total of 52 buses will service the feeder lines and an information system will be set up linked to the main bus control center in Hanoi, providing real-time bus and train arrival information.

The project will also develop station access management and enforcement systems to ensure the smooth flow of pedestrians and private vehicles, and will incorporate gender and safety design features including priority seating and allocated waiting spaces for women, adequate lighting and closed circuit TV surveillance.

The public transport facilities will be built along the first stage of the line from Nhon to Hanoi main railway station, up to 500 meters from the four underground and eight elevated stations along the route.

Along with the physical works, the project will provide consulting services to develop a policy blueprint on public transport ticketing and pricing, as well as training and other capacity building support for staff in Hanoi’s transport agencies.

Hanoi is seeing a sharp rise in car ownership, which along with the continued boom in motorcycle use is causing severe traffic congestion during peak hours, as well as pollution.

Without a shift away from the use of private vehicles, the city’s urban environment will worsen and economic growth will be undermined.

The development of the metro rail system and its integration with bus services is expected to encourage private vehicle users to switch to public transport and it will help create business opportunities and improve the quality of life for communities around the metro stations.

Along with ADB’s direct assistance, a nearly $49 million equivalent loan will also be provided from the ADB-administered Clean Technology Fund, while the government of Vietnam will provide counterpart support of $5.8 million.

The project will be carried out over 3.5 years with an estimated completion date of end December 2018.

“Making sure the metro stations are closely linked to other transport services and users can get in and out quickly and safely is essential for an efficient system,” said Robert Valkovic, Principal Transport Specialist, in ADB’s Southeast Asia Department.

“This assistance, which complements other support by ADB for the metro line itself, will help ensure Hanoi’s urban transport is efficient, fast, safe and environmentally friendly,” he added