The Lao government is marking another significant stride towards addressing urban congestion and improving public transportation in Vientiane Capital.
The Ministry of Public Work and Transport in Laos signed an agreement with a Chinese traffic management service provider, Qingdao Hisense Transtech Company, on 29 September, on the innovation of public transport in the country.
The primary aim of this new deal between the Lao government and Qingdao Hisense is to implement the Intelligent Transportation System (ITS), an advanced application designed to deliver innovative services in the realm of public transportation and traffic management. This system seeks to empower users with quality information and improve four key aspects of urban transport across the city.
The ITS system will be utilized to improve the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) command center, bus garages, BRT bus stations and in BRT buses.
The contract is estimated to be more than USD 5.5 million, and is made possible through a loan from the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
The initiative will introduce new features such as designated parking areas with clear signage for buses, route displays on board, and real-time bus arrival and departure information. A dedicated BRT bus command center will also be established to monitor and address any operational issues.
Additionally, the Mayor of Vientiane Capital, Atsaphangthong Siphandone, has introduced another measure, which will switch one-way roads to two-way and vice versa, to alleviate urban congestion. According to the Vientiane Times, these changes will be made to the traffic flow in Vientiane Capital, mainly on roads near the Mekong River, in an attempt to ease traffic congestion during rush hours.
Roads such as Quai Fa Ngum Road from Pakpasak junction to Thatkhao, and Sithan Road from Setthathirath Road to Pakpasak junction and Khounboulom Road from the roundabout on the Mekong riverside to Samsenthai Road will change to one-way traffic.
However, the Mekong riverside from Pakpasak junction to Thadeua Road (a four junction at Lao-German college) will now change to two-ways, aiming to provide a more convenient flow of traffic.
