The construction of the BRT in Vientiane. - Photo: Vientiane Times/ANN
VIENTIANE: Thirty per cent of the construction of bus lanes and Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) stations under the Vientiane Sustainable Urban Transport Project has been completed, with all the work expected to be finished by the middle of 2025.
Authorities reported on the progress of the project when the Deputy Minister of Public Works and Transport, Litta Khattiya, the Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) Country Director, Shanny Campbell, and other officials inspected the project on Monday (Oct 28).
During the inspection, the delegation visited the construction site in front of Somerset Hotel, and the stretch from Fa Ngum Park to the Patuxay Monument, where plans include building a BRT station, a main station, and improvements to the drainage system.
The delegation inspected the construction site for the main bus station at Km 16, where plans include a bus stop, a building, a command center, a repair station, and additional facilities.
Finally, the delegation visited the construction site in front of the National University of Laos in Dongdok village, where infrastructure improvements for a bus station are currently being accelerated. Installation of structures, such as the roof and other facilities, is expected to start in November.
The Project Manager, Khamphanh Vanthana, said, “Our project is currently 30 percent complete. For the BRT bus project, we have 27 boarding and disembarking stations, and the foundations of the BRT stations have mainly been completed.”
He explained that the focus now is on widening narrow roads to ease the traffic flow since the stations are located in the middle of the road.
The BRT is expected to be completed by mid-2025, with services starting in two phases – a three-month free trial, followed by commencement of official services.
The Vientiane Urban Sustainable Transport Project, authorised in 2016 at a cost of US$99.7 million, is financed by the ADB, European Investment Bank (EIB), OPEC Fund for International Development (OPEC Fund), European Union-Asia Investment Facility (EU-AIF), Global Environmental Facility (GEF), High-Level Technology Fund, the Lao government, and the private sector.
Four contracts have been signed, including a US$14.8 million contract financed by the EIB for the supply of 55 electric buses, a US$456,000 contract financed by the GEF for 150 electric pedicabs, a US$3.5 million contract financed by the ADB and GEF for pedestrian zones around BRT stations, and a US$5.5 million contract funded by the ADB for installing an intelligent transport system to regulate bus traffic.
Other companies are currently being selected to complete the remaining seven contracts, covering construction of bus lanes and stations, traffic signalling, and automatic fare collection, and three management contracts.
The Bus Rapid Transit system is expected to ease traffic congestion, reduce road accidents, improve air quality, and cut costs for passengers. - Vientiane Times/ANN
