The Ministry of Transport (MoT) has released Plan No. 12742/KH-BGTVT on developing a modern and synchronous transportation network in the northern midlands and mountainous region to 2030 and vision to 2045, to reduce costs while ensuring national defense and security.

The move aims to accelerate transportation development in the 14 provinces of Ha Giang, Cao Bang, Lang Son, Bac Giang, Phu Tho, Thai Nguyen, Bac Kan, Tuyen Quang, Lao Cai, Yen Bai, Lai Chau, Son La, Dien Bien, and Hoa Binh.

The Plan states that priorities will be given to the development of rail transport, including intermodal rail, inland waterway, and airways, to reduce pressure on the road network.

It is also necessary to innovate loading and unloading technologies at transport hubs, apply advanced transportation technologies, synchronously develop support services and multimodal transportation, and improve logistics service quality.

Enterprises are encouraged to boost investment in container transport on rail and inland waterways and to use clean means of transport and green energy.

It is essential to accelerate the application of IT in transport management and operations, such as automation, AI, and the Internet of Things, etc., in order to create breakthroughs both in State management and transport operations, to raise the transport sector’s capacity to approach Industry 4.0.

To that end, the Plan stated, it is necessary to harmoniously and appropriately develop modes of transport and multimodal transport and logistics services.

“Priorities should be given to the development of multimodal transport on major routes, especially along the North - South corridor and corridors connecting to seaports and international borders, to increase the volume of transported commodities and reduce waterway transport costs and logistics costs for import-export goods,” the Plan stated.