Electric car

A tourist electric car is seen in Hà Nội City. The car will part of a pilot project in Quảng Nam and Kiên Giang provinces. — Photo vnexpress.net Viet Nam News HÀ NỘI — The Prime Minister has agreed to a pilot project to run electric cars to serve tourists in two more provinces. Under the programme, the electric cars will be introduced to serve tourists in Hội An City in central Quảng Nam Province and in southern Kiên Giang Province’s Phú Quốc District. The two provinces will be responsible for implementation of the project in the area and to ensure traffic safety. After six months of trial operations, the provincial authorities will report the results of the project to the government for effective implementation in the next round. The Transport Ministry has also asked the locals to assess the utility of electric cars and to recommend solutions to the government this month. The ministry said the pilot model of tourist electric cars had earlier been … [Read more...] about Tourist electric cars to run in more provinces

APEC 2017 a comprehensive success: Deputy PM Phạm Bình Minh Đà Nẵng Declaration stresses multilateral trade, inclusive growth 2017 APEC Ministerial Meeting Joint Ministerial Statement The 25th APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting adopts Đà Nẵng Declaration APEC needs to bolster its leadership APEC-member economies discuss the use of electric vehicles at a workshop during the Senior Officials Meeting (SOM-3) in HCM City on August 19. — VNS Photo HC Viet Nam News HCM CITY – Widespread usage of electric vehicles would help reduce dependence on fossil fuels and build low-carbon societies in the Asia-Pacific region, APEC officials said. The officials were participating in two workshops held at the third APEC Senior Officials Meeting (SOM 3) in HCM City on August 19. Adopting priority standards for electric vehicles among the region is vitally important, they said. Baek-Haeng Lee of the Korea Automotive Technology Institute in South Korea, speaking on the … [Read more...] about APEC urges adoption of int’l standards for electric vehicles

Quick actions needed to counter worsening air quality The Saigon Times Daily Warnings are repeatedly issued these days over the air quality in major cities in Vietnam, especially Hanoi and HCMC, as current air environment conditions are deemed as harmful to people’s health. Such facts require quick actions from authorities before the situation hits an irrecoverable threshold. Data from observatory facilities at the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi and the U.S. Consulate in HCMC shows air quality is getting worse in the two cities, especially in the capital. On Friday, Hanoi’s air quality measured around 190, which according to the Air Quality Index (AQI) is very damaging to people’s health. Under the AQI measurement, a reading under 50 is tagged green and is deemed good, between 51 and 100 is moderate, and from 101 to 150 is unhealthy for sensitive groups. A reading from 151 to 200, being tagged red, is unhealthy, while the next two levels are very unhealthy and hazardous. As of this … [Read more...] about Quick actions needed to counter worsening air quality

VinFast opens office in Australia The Saigon Times VinFast’s office in Australia – PHOTO: VINFAST HCMC – Vietnamese carmaker VinFast has entered the Australian market by opening a research and development center in Melbourne on June 11 as part of its strategic plan to go global. VinFast Australia is located next to Melbourne’s Financial and Economic Center and Monash University, in addition to many large-scale research facilities. Such a prime location is convenient for research development and business activities. The Australia-based office will research and develop new automobile models including gasoline-driven and electric cars, as well as lay the foundation for the carmaker’s global expansion, realizing its goal to become a global car brand by connecting with leading suppliers. The new office employs some one hundred official employees, who are high-profile experts and engineers from the world's leading automobile corporations such as GM, Toyota, Ford and … [Read more...] about VinFast opens office in Australia

Bạch Đằng Street in Đà Nẵng is one of 15 now designed for alternate day parking. — VNS Photo Công Thành Viet Nam News ĐÀ NẴNG — The central city of Đà Nẵng has added five streets where parking is only allowed on odd or even dates in the two downtown districts of Hải Châu and Thanh Khê. Deputy director of the city’s Transport Department, Nguyễn Đăng Huy, said these streets were Phan Bội Châu, Xuân Diệu, Dũng Sĩ Thanh Khê, Thanh Khê 6 and Đặng Thai Mai streets. The rule will takes effect on September 1. He said signs had been placed informing drivers of the changes and the department’s inspection team would start issuing fines from October 1. Last year, the city started a pilot project on odd and even day car parking in 10 downtown streets to ease congestion. The city also plans to build a BOT (Build-Operate-Transfer) parking garage at the junction of Ông Ích Khiêm-Đống Đa and Trần Cao Vân streets, offering 309 spaces for cars and over 3,000 for … [Read more...] about Central city adds odd and even day parking streets

Many motorbike and car drivers ignore traffic regulations, including installing substandard lamps, posing a danger for other road users.— Photo phapluatdansinh.vn HCM CITY — Many motorbike and car drivers ignore traffic regulations, including installing substandard lamps, posing a danger for other road users. The Tuổi Trẻ (Youth) newspaper reports that it is very easy to find lamps with high illumination at motorcycle repair shops and car shops in HCM City. According to staff at a motorbike shop in Thủ Đức District, the preferred lamp is the xenon or high-intensity discharge (HID) version, which provides brighter headlights and increases the visibility of peripheral objects such as street signs and pedestrians, often left in the shadows by standard halogen lighting. These lamps come from China and cost between VNĐ250,000 (US$11) to VNĐ1 million ($44.4) each. Additional accessories are required to install and replace the lamps on a motorcycle, according to a mechanic in … [Read more...] about Substandard lights pose risk to road users

Cars and vans are served for transporting tourists at Lý Sơn Island’s port. Booming of transport vehicle would lead to damage of infrastructure. — VNS Photo Công Thành Viet Nam News LÝ SƠN ISLAND — Lý Sơn Island’s roads could be overloaded with commercial transport vehicles in the near future, according to a local official. Vice chairwoman of the island district’s People’s Committee, Phạm Thị Hương, made the warning after the Quảng Ngãi Province decided to increase the number of transport vehicles operating on the island to 160 cars in 2017-20. Hương said the island has now 108 cars including four-seat cars, light-trucks and battery-powered cars travelling on the 10sq.km island, and 22 electric cars on An Bình Islet – 3 miles off Lý Sơn’s coast. The current vehicles can meet the travel demand for the island’s 21,000 population and 200,000 tourists each year, while infrastructure would be damaged if more vehicles are brought to the island, according to Hương. She said … [Read more...] about Island to face overloaded traffic

A pilot project of using electric cars in Đà Nẵng. The city plans to reduce 25 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions into the environment by 2030. — Photo courtesy Thạch Hoàng Viet Nam News ĐÀ NẴNG — More than 1,500 participants from 183 member countries will take part in the 6th Global Environment Facility (GEF) Assembly at the central city’s Aryiana International Convention centre from June 23-29. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment said the 6th GEF Assembly and Associated Meetings, held every four years, aims to review general policies and evaluate the GEF’s operations based on reports submitted to the council as well as the membership of the facility itself. The event will also consider the establishment of the restructured global environmental facility on the basis of recommendations by the GEF Council. As planned, Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc will attend the meeting alongside local leaders, heads of institutes, scientists and businesses. … [Read more...] about Đà Nẵng to host Global Environment Facility Assembly

People are on the walking street around the Hoàn Kiếm (Returned Sword) Lake in Hà Nội. Keeping public order along the street remains a difficult problem. — VNA/VNS Photo Quang Quyết Viet Nam News HÀ NỘI — Two years after the walking street around the iconic Hoàn Kiếm (Returned Sword) Lake was first introduced to the Hanoians, the place has become a top destination for families and friends to hang out on weekends. But not everyone is happy with how the walking street has become a commercial centre and, some say, a big mess. The so-called walking street in the centre Hoàn Kiếm District is actually not a single street but rather comprised of 16 streets that run around and adjacent to the lake – the heart of the capital. Local authorities roughly estimate that 5,000-7,000 people flock to the walking zone during the day on weekends, and as many as 20,000 turn out at night. The largest number of people ever recorded at one time in the area was 200,000. Accompanying the … [Read more...] about Walking street business boom frustrates walkers

Z’lao, a small village in Dang Commune, Tây Giang District has no electricity. — Photo laodong.vn Viet Nam News QUẢNG NAM — Big infrastructure projects like hydropower plants are meant to make people’s lives better, but the opposite is true in Quảng Nam Province. The ethnic minority people of Z’lao, a small remote village in Dang Commune, Tây Giang District, know this only too well. In December 2008, A Vương hydropower plant was put into use in Tây Giang District after five years of construction. Since then, the village has often been isolated when rainy season comes. Today, the residents in the village of 45 households and 187 Cơ Tu ethnic minority people still live in temporary housing and without roads, schools and electricity. In the past, the village was located near A Vương River and residents and vehicles could travel easily. But to build the hydropower plant, residents were forced to give up some of their land for the project. When A Vương hydropower plant, … [Read more...] about No electricty, no roads, no hope: A village neglected