Bus Services Relocate As Work Begins On New Terminal

All buses are now operating out of two temporary stations to pave the way for the construction of a new 12-storey building to house the inner city bus station near the Morning Market in central Vientiane.

However, the relocation to an area near the existing site has led to traffic congestion in the area, causing members of the public to complain about the new arrangements.

General Director of the State Bus Company Mr Khamphoun Temalat told Vientiane Times yesterday that tuk-tuks must also be relocated as part of efforts to minimise the problem.

The relocation aims to ensure the usual services of over 60 buses which are currently registered at the inner city bus station, including those commuting between Laos and Thailand.

Meanwhile traders owning stalls at the existing site have moved to other areas since August 25 and the rest are in the process of relocating their stalls.

“We are in the process of fencing off the project site so that we can clear the land. I think work will begin on the foundations soon to mark the start of the project,” Mr Khamphoun said.

Vientiane authorities signed an agreement with Chitchareun Construction Company in June last year, allowing the company to develop the US$47.5 million bus station to provide better facilities for public transport users.

Mr Khamphoun said construction was supposed to begin in January but there were delays with the clearance of the site. However, he was confident that from now on the project will move forward as planned.

Located on the same site in Nongchan village in Vientiane’s Chanthabouly district, the project will include a 12-storey building housing a shopping centre, offices for rent and parking areas designed to alleviate the parking crisis in the capital.

The project will cover an area of 7,632 square metres and construction is scheduled for completion in 2017 with a concession period of 70 years that can be extended depending on the government’s approval.

The project has two phases. The first phase includes the removal of barriers, allocation of the temporary bus station, and creation of a detailed project design. The second phase is the actual construction.

The first floor of the 12-storey building will accommodated parked buses.

Director of Chitchareun Construction Company Mr Somvang Vongvilay told Vientiane Times recently that half of the 12-storey building will be allocated for parking to respond to the growing number of vehicles in the capital.

The existing inner city bus station was built several decades ago and the authorities have decided that it is now dilapidated and does not provide enough facilities to serve the general public.

Vientiane has a population of about 800,000 people and the number of vehicles in the capital has jumped to over 603,000.

Many people park their vehicles on roadsides and sidewalks and the project will contribute to minimising the parking problem in Vientiane.

Source: Vientiane Times