HCMC – HCMC has proposed that neighboring Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province make arrangements to offer high-speed ferry services between the city and Con Dao Island, which is off Ba Ria-Vung Tau.
HCMC Chairman Phan Van Mai said, in a dispatch sent to the southern province, that the passenger transport services using express ferries on the HCMC-Con Dao route will contribute to the growth of inland waterway transport, coastal transport and tourism.
In February this year, the authorities in Con Dao District said two projects to upgrade and expand the Ben Dam port and Con Dao passenger terminal are set to be completed by the end of this year, Tuoi Tre newspaper reported.
The island district will only consider receiving additional passenger vessels after these two projects are done. Therefore, the ferry service between HCMC and Con Dao has yet to be eligible to be put into service at present.
Regarding other ferry services linking with the island, Phu Quoc Express JSC has been offering the service to transport passengers between Con Dao and the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho.
The company in coordination with Greenlines DP Technology Company proposed the Con Dao authorities and the relevant units take measures to regulate the arrival and departure of ferries while awaiting the completion of the two above projects.
In mid-April, the HCMC transport authority held a meeting with its Ba Ria-Vung Tau counterpart and relevant agencies to discuss measures to remove obstacles facing the HCMC-Con Dao express ferry service.
Participants at the meeting agreed to launch the service, but still have to wait for approval from Con Dao District.
