The spring comes think about the national transport system

For many years, I used to go to Hanoi at the end of autumns to see old friends and to enjoy a cool weather there. I could not come to Hanoi this year due to the pandemic. However, I couldn’t help having appointments with old friends to talk about old time memories. So I had an appointment with Hung- an old coworker working at the Operation Research Department of the Ministry of Transport in the 1970s- the department then became the Transport Economy Institute. At the days, we together did research on economic theories on transport, especially those on the united national transport. In the difficult war time and years after, we focused on basic matters of long time value as infrastructures, systematic theories, and methods of optimizing transport systems.

Hung has been living in HCMC for over twenty years. I visited him and he made a small meal for both. And we talked about old memories.

After a few glasses of beer and some talks about families and old friends. Hung, being lost in his thoughts, said: "Time flies. We worked together 50 years ago and it has been 30 years since we first met".

Yes, it was such a long time. I still remember seeing together in a logistics conference. It was one of the first logistics conference held in Kinh Do Hotel on Nguyen Hue Street, near the Tax Shopping Mall. The concept of logistics was new at the time- there were discussions on how the concept was understood and difined in preparation for putting logistics in the law.

Remembering the conference, Hung said: "They put emphasis on the all system characteristic of logistics, which made me think about the concept of the national united transport system”.

I said: "When mentioning logistics and supply chains, they normally have to consider its transport system. In basic logistics course books, there is always an introduction to transport systems”.

“A transport system includes two elements: first, infrastructures including road system, transport hubs as stations, ports and hubs as warehouses, yards... second, means of transportation,” explained Hung.

He continued: "We have done a lot of things. Just have a look at our systems of roads, ports and warehouses having been built in the past twenty years”.

“AND OUR LOGISTICS HAS HAD DEVELOPMENTS THANKS TO THESE ACHIEVEMENTS"

“I, however, feel there is not a harmony. In a transport system, we have road transport, waterway transport, railway transport, airway transport and tube transport. Although our road transport and waterway transport have had great developments, our railway transport is outdated. Long ago, we used to put emphasis on railway transport for its convenience in heavy loads as steels, ore, cement and construction materials and for long distance transport. Trucks have taken over the works and resulted in damages to road due to overloads ones. The bulding of Sao Mai- Ben Dinh Port Group is an example of the lack of synchronocity: ports and warehouses had been built but port local connecting roads and roads connecting the region to Vung Tau have not been developed to connect the area to the national road system. Local waterway transport partly helps to solve problems to the port area. We should consider what form of transport and what to be transported for planning and construction".

“We have been in shortage of large cargo delivery centers. Scattered and small warehouse systems weaken abilities of cargo transport and delivery. We already had researches on large warehouses serving regional cargo delivery as warehouses for the Southeastern in Dong Nai... But it has not been carried out".

“ANY CHANGES IN MEANS OF TRANSPORTATION?” I ASKED

"We have had fast containerization. It is partly because we have taken part in the world’s large supply chains. Our transport system connected with those of the world, with large shipping companies transporting cargo world wide. And our attempts and achievement should also be mentioned. I still remember in the 1990s, a company in HCMC converted river boats for carrying containers in local water ways. This kind of boat was small, which enabled to carry 16TEUs only and they first transported containers to Dong Thap Port. The port has served containers since. Now we can find river boats transporting hundreds of TEU traveling on rivers. And river ports have developed for handling container cargo”.

“Talking about logistics developments is talking about its foundation- trade. International integration is clearly shown with the fact we have been taking part in the world’s large supply chains. Exported goods go through these supply chains, and so do imported ones. Logistics serving these supply chains are important activities that ensures smooth flows of cargo. However, our high logistics cost is an obstacle. Goods exchange in the country is also of importance, and logistics should take part in the progress of cargo flows. Therefore, both foreign trade and local trade should be paid attention to".