Final Report - Asian Development Bank

Asian Development Bank TA7343 Ho Chi Minh City MRT Line 2 Project
MVA Asia Ltd Final Report – November 2010
4.5 Creating an Integrated MRT Network
4.5.1 In addition to the development of the bus network there are other interventions that need to
be considered for the development of a sustainable transport system. The MRT network must
integrate with all transport modes and society to maximise its convenience and attractiveness
and therefore patronage.
Inter-Modal Transfer Facilities (ITF)
4.5.2 The MRT Stations will need to cater for drop off / pick up by private vehicle, bus and taxi.
Some stations will require modest facilities such as road side bus stops and drop off / pick up
bays and other stations more significant off street inter-modal interchanges (such as PTI’s).
4.5.3 The population of the outer areas of HCMC is expected to more than double from 2007 to
2025. This is due to large residential and ‘new town’ developments. As the MRT network is
not planned to serve most of these areas, it is recommended that the railway network as well
as the bus network is expanded and allowed to interchange with the MRT system in the
future. As discussed in section 4.4 this should also consider BRT as an extension of the
MRT.
4.5.4 Taxis may be the preferred mode of choice for some people to connect to and from the MRT.
It will be necessary to consider not only drop off and pick up vehicles but also a separate taxi
waiting area that will vary in size depending on the station and demand. With some stations,
especially elevated ones located in the centre of the road, drop off and pick up areas will
need to be carefully planned to avoid blocking of through traffic and especially buses.
Park & Ride
4.5.5 Given the extreme popularity of motorcycles in HCMC it has to be considered that many
people will choose to access the MRT by this mode for transfer onto MRT for the journey into
the central area. This will be especially the case if, as recommended, strong policy and
parking pricing measures are adopted to discourage travel into the city by private transport
modes. It is therefore strongly suggested that park & ride facilities are provided at key MRT
stations especially where stations are located close to the outer ring roads. The main barrier
to implementation of park & ride is availability of space to construct parking areas.
4.5.6 Where possible, park & ride vehicle parks should be designed within the footprint of the MRT
station, either elevated or underground but preferably not large open seas of car / motorcycle
parking. This may not be possible at some stations and therefore further investigation is
required to assess the feasibility of constructing a park & ride lot. Parking areas will need to
be convenient and there should be direct access to the MRT (i.e. no barriers such as having
to cross large roads at grade).
4.5.7 In line with sustainable transport policy, priority location within park & ride areas should be
provided for bicycles, electric motorcycles and environmentally friendly fuelled cars.
Fares and Ticketing
4.5.8 Best practise dictates that an integrated ticketing system should be applied to the MRT
network in HCMC. Ideally this should be an integrated ticketing system for all public transport
modes (bus, rail, MRT and ferry). It is probably more practical that this is implemented for an
integrated bus and MRT network where the bus complements rather than competes with the
MRT. The EZ-Link card in Singapore is a good example.
4.5.9 The MRT Line 1 project is proposing an Automatic Fare Collection (AFC) system. At present
there is no proposal to expand this to other MRT lines or buses. It is necessary for the
authorities to make a decision on an integrated ticketing system and fare structure with the
convenience for passengers prioritised.
4.5.10 The fares applied to public transport travel will directly influence the number of people that will
use it and in turn the mode share. A uniform fare is recommended where the fare is the same
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