I grew up in Saigon. They had just started construction on this line when I left in 2012, and in the many times I visited since it was very clear how slow the progress was. Unfortunately that’s just the way of things in Vietnam, and this project was completely overrun by corruption to an extent that even by Vietnam standards was shocking.
That said, it’s awesome to see it finally done. It’ll be a huge boon to the city, which sorely needs it. When I first went to Vietnam, you would rarely see a car that wasn’t a taxi. When I last visited, the traffic jams were insane. And there has been a systemic widening of roads and demolishing of homes to help accommodate that increasing usage of cars. The same nonsense we all know ruined cities in the west decades ago. But finally having a viable alternative to driving is so excellent news for what is the 5th largest economy in Southeast Asia.
I grew up in Saigon. They had just started construction on this line when I left in 2012, and in the many times I visited since it was very clear how slow the progress was. Unfortunately that’s just the way of things in Vietnam, and this project was completely overrun by corruption to an extent that even by Vietnam standards was shocking.
That said, it’s awesome to see it finally done. It’ll be a huge boon to the city, which sorely needs it. When I first went to Vietnam, you would rarely see a car that wasn’t a taxi. When I last visited, the traffic jams were insane. And there has been a systemic widening of roads and demolishing of homes to help accommodate that increasing usage of cars. The same nonsense we all know ruined cities in the west decades ago. But finally having a viable alternative to driving is so excellent news for what is the 5th largest economy in Southeast Asia.