HCMC mulls high-rise lot to ease downtown parking space shortage

The Department of Transport has instructed the Road Management Center (RMC) to build a lot that can park 48 cars and 80 motorbikes next to the September 23rd Park.

The department had said in September it would build prefabricated high-rise parking lots in the downtown area, which attracts a lot of people coming for commercial services and amusement but suffers from a severe shortage of parking space.

Ngo Hai Duong, head of the RMC, had said that the advantage of prefabricated buildings is they cost less than building on site and underground lots.

"It is also easy to enlarge parking space by assembling more blocks together and, when needed, dismantle and relocate."

Private investors suggested in 2017 the city should build precast high-rise parking lots in the downtown area after the model proved efficient, including ones at 71 Che Lan Vien Street in Tan Phu District that can accommodate 2,800 cars and motorbikes, Co Giang Street in District 1 with space for 2,000 vehicles and Tan Son Nhat airport with space for 10,000.

But this was not approved by the administration due to concerns about congestion and reduced public space in the inner city.

In 2018, to mitigate the shortage of parking spaces, the city allowed cars to be parked on streets in several areas including District 1 and collected fees, but this has not met demand.

Plans to build four underground lots with a total capacity of 6,300 cars and 4,000 motorbikes in the downtown area have remained on paper for more than a decade.

They were to be built in the heart of District 1 and operated in tandem with other commercial services.