The two transit stations of the Hai Van Tunnel Management and Operation Joint Stock Company (Hamadeco) were officially put into operation in late 2007.  Their transit vehicles carry motorcycles and bicycles, and their riders, through the tunnel because these types of vehicle are banned from using the tunnel.

Over recent years, Hamadeco has increased the rates for transit on many occasions yet the quality of their transit services is getting worse, and this has made many service users feel uncomfortable.

Passengers feeling tired in a transit vehicle

It is reported that many of the transit vehicles are not equipped with air conditioning or ventilation systems, which makes them very hot on summer days.  Hence, passengers on these hot vehicles must open their windows to cool their upper body, but they have to wear face masks to protect themselves from the dust and exhaust fumes discharged by other vehicles travelling through the tunnel.

Curently, the transport fare for high-capacity motorcycles and gas-powered scooters is 30,000 VND per vehicle, whilst 25,000 VND and 5,000 VND is collected for each conventional motorbike and bicycle respectively, and 8,000 VND is charged per passenger.

The Deputy General Director of Hamadeco, Mr Cao Ba Giang, said that over 2 billion VND from the company’s budget is spent on the maintenance of its vehicles every year.

Since the start of this year, over one billion VND has been spent on upgrading the transit station on the northern side of the tunnel.  The company has also purchased 2 new trucks and 2 new passenger coaches, worth nearly 2.3 billion VND in total, to meet the increasing demand for the transit services.  Also, the vehicle maintenance work has cost over 1.3 billion VND.