HCMC proposes building parking lots on empty land

The suggestion has been sent to the Ministry of Planning and Investment for consideration, before being presented to the central government. The proposal was made as the southern metropolis of 10 million people is currently suffering from a severe shortage of parking space. There are only around 300 ha of parking space, far short of the city’s goal of 1,200 ha, according to official data.

HCMC is requesting the National Assembly allow investing in structures with the usage of no more than 10 years on empty land. These projects may include high-rise parking complexes and structures for culture and sport activities.

Such investments would help utilize funds from multiple sources, and also help with meeting the demand for parking spaces and reducing the costs incurred due to traffic congestion, HCMC authorities said.

As planned, downtown HCMC areas, spanning 930 ha, would have four underground parking lots. However, none of these projects have been deployed due to multiple issues.

The city has 850,000 cars and 7.8 million motorbikes, not to mention other vehicles that enter the city each day. Districts 1, 3, and 5 in the downtown area have over 21,500 cars. In the first half of 2022, the number of newly registered cars in the city was at over 7,500, a 20% increase from the same period the year before.

In the past, District 1 had proposed to the HCMC People’s Committee that it be allowed to convert 26 empty land lots that have been unused for years into parking lots. These land lots span dozens of thousands of square meters, and are located along 22 downtown roads.