BINH THUAN’S COMMUNICATION AND TRANSPORT

A RIGHT ORIENTATION FOR THE FUTURE

The fast speed of building ways roads of Binh Thuan communication and transport is of people with industrial manners, in the industrial age. We saw busy scenes in many construction sites in Binh Thuan. Road surfaces were full of dirt and crushed stones. Crashing and sieving machines were running noisily. Human and machine sounds broke the long standing peace of the jungles. Almost all modern construction machines were present. They were excavating and leveling impressively. The grounds to open new roads. Some years ago, Binh Thuan Communication and Transport was in despair with thin road density and uneven distribution. In some areas like Tuy Phong, Tanh Linh, Duc Linh, Bac Binh and Bac Ham Thuan districts communication and transport were very limited, far from meeting the needs of socio - economic renewal.

Today, it is hugely different. After 10 years of renovation, particularly the past 5 years, the communication network in the province has improved clearly. More and more smoothly asphalted roads wind their way along the provincial coast or mountain chain. Most national roads running the province have been improved and upgraded. There are a series of main roads leading to the provincial pivotal economic area, such as provincial road No 710 in the La Nga river valley - Lac Tanh - Vo Xu, provincial road N^o 713 through Lac Tanh - Duc Phu - Cia Huynh - Vo Xu - Ba Da, national road No 20 through Me Pu - Cau Be. Coastal roads include national road No 55, Phan Thiet - Ke Ga, Phan Thiet - Mui Ne - Long Son, Hoa Thang - Hong Thang and Lien Huong - Binh Thanh. Roads leading to mountainous, ethnic and former resistance bases are An Lam - Dong Giang - La Da, Song Luy - Phan Thiet, Binh An - Phan Son and national road N^o 1 - My Thanh. 8196 km of provincial roads are new or upgraded, of which 218.8 km are asphalted and 672.8 km stone - covered. Completed projects, such as roads in the La Nga river valley and along the coast, have contributed to the advances of the provincial economy. More and more bridges are erected. The new bridges include Quang bridge, Bung Cay Sao bridge, Suoi Dua bridge, Tan Ha bridge, Be bridge, Tien Loi bridge and Hong Son bridge. Currently, the last 3 sub - contracts of the Lac Tanh - Duc Phu bridge system are under construction with a cost of 1,488 million dongs, the Tan Ly and Ta Pao bridges are in the finishing phase.

The Phu Quy and the La Gi ports, though a lot of works remain, have taken shape with a busy life of a prosperous and modern industrial zone.

Thanks to the hearty supports of the Binh Thuan people, great amounts of resources have been mobilized for the provincial rural communication development. In cooperation with the Ethnic Board and the Resettlement and New Economic Zone Development Department and with the supports of the Central Government, the Binh Thuan Communication and Transport Branch have built and upgraded many rural and urban communication projects. The annual local investment for communication is 10 - 12 billion dongs. The annual support from the Ministry of Communication and Transport is 8 - 12 billion dongs. Particularly, in the past years 4 communication lines to communal centers without auto roads were built, namely the roads leading the communes of My Thanh, La Da, Phan Tien and Phan Dung.

With new roads and bridges coming into existence, the joys of the Binh Thuan people multiples. After the building of the roads the Branch concerns itself with the maintenance and upkeep of its blood - vessels. Though still poor, the Binh Thuan people are always ready to contribute whenever the districts need to mobilize resources for roads maintenance and upkeep. The Communication and Transport Department has well advised the Provincial People's Committee to decentralize communication administration to highten every level's responsibilities for the protection, maintenance and repair of communication projects. The annual appropriation for these works is 2.2 - 2.5 billion dongs. The systems of traffic signs have been attentively posted, added and repaired. Plans for communication safety in 2003 have been implemented in districts and towns.

Close to the South pivotal economic area, with communication routes to Ho Chi Minh city, Dong Nai, Ba Ria - Vung Tau, Nha Trang and Tay Nguyen, Binh Thuan has a favorable geographic position and communication network for development. It is an conjunctive point for trade between Tay Nguyen, the Southern and the Northern regions of Vietnam and for export and import. Passengers and goods vehicles shuttle daily on the roads. In the past years, transport volume has been stable. In the first 6 months of 2003 it was 692,070 tons and 78,731,730 tons/km, with an increase of 1.7% compared to 2001. Land transport accounted for 68,030 tons and 2,196,360 tons/ km. The number of passengers was 11,390,200 persons. They feel more and more comfortable because there are no more roundabout trips and unwanted destinations. They feel really Safer because overdue vehicles have been all replace. The replacement of 107 out of 188 vehicles gave a new look to the transport branch. Land transport accounts for most passengers and goods transport. The transport forces structure has changed greatly in the past years. State forces that were out of step with mechanism changes gave place to non - state forces. In 1996, state transport forces accounted for 2.82% of transport volume. In spite of their small percent- age, they play a leading role in diff cult, mountainous and remote areas as well as in military transport and natural disaster rescue.

The Phan Thiet city - the economic, political and cultural center of the province is more and more prosperous and beautiful. More and more avenues take shape, a feature of a modern city.

Have a look at a corner of the Nguyen Tat Thanh avenue one can see that the city has really changed. Soon buses - a symbol of urban civilization and modernity in this new century will appear in this city.

Contemplating the fine face of Mrs. Chau Thi Le, director of the Binh Thuan Communication and Transport Department and then thinking about the achievement made by Binh Thuan Communication and Transport, I was filled with admiration. Extremely busy because she is also a member of the National Assembly, she is head over heels in love with roads and routes of the province. lt is this almost only female general" of the whole Country's Communication and Transport, capable and decisive, who said : “The only way to bring into play the advantageous economic position is to develop modern industries. The only way to bring into play the advantages of an integrated and modern communication network of the province to advance to industrialization and modernization and the only way to bring into play the Binh Thuan people's creativeness and intelligence is to develop industrial concentrations". I understood that what the female director was saying pointed out concrete objective the Binh Thuan Communication and Transport branch has been and will be trying to achieve. That is to develop an integrated, smoothly flowing and convenient communication network leading to all corners of the nation and to the world, meeting all transport needs of people and goods, serving national defense and security and creating base and precondition for socio economic development.

The dream about a rich and beautiful Binh Thuan, a Binh Than that is a major economic center and a gate to other regions is permanently in the mind of the People in this so called Red Dragon's land. The Communication and Transport branch has rolled its shirt- sleeves up to work together of the whole provincial people to realize that dream. It has been and are building up an integrated and modern communication network to bring into play the advantages of the province position's in order to attract resources and investment, domestic and foreign alike, to create growth by leaps and bounds and to gain momentum for the following years.

The road ahead is full of opportunities and challenges also. State administration on transport still has limitations the material base of Communication and Transport is still weak and not proportional to the province's economic growth. Investment in basic construction is still limited and dispersed. Particularly, with respect to Communication and Transport in mountainous areas, there are short comings in quality control, survey and design, and construction supervision. The causes are many, but there main one is the lack of full Understanding at an levels and branches of government and of the local people. Besides, whatever other may say, Binh Thuan economy is not really strong and resources for investment in construction and administration of Communication and Transport is insufficient, especially in communication. Meanwhile, some local institutional obstacles still remain.

However, with heart and mind, Binh Thuan Communication and Transport leaders, cadres and workers will overcome those difficulties and turn Binh Thuan into an economic, trade and cultural center as well as a regional gate- way in the future./.

THUY DUONG