Warnings that an uncoordinated public transport system for the capitalcity could be chaotic were issued at a recent seminar on the operationof the capital city's five metro rail lines.

Speaking at thefunction held on November 19 titled Management and Operation of Hanoi'sUrban Mass Transit System, director of the city's Urban RailwayManagement Board Nguyen Quang Manh said the metro would be the main axisfor the capital's public transport system.

However, he saidthe new system would not work if metro lines were not knitted into atight network, which must also include other means of public transport,such as buses and taxis.

He added that there were already signsthat there would be more difficulties than necessary. This was becauseat least five different consultants had been appointed to carry out thefive individual metro line projects.

Manh said that this wouldeventually lead to different proposals for ticketing technology,emphasising that the way to prevent chaos was to seek one singletechnology to apply to all lines.

Manh said that whiletargeting an integrated public transport network, the city had not yetdecided to have one centre managing all public passenger transport. Itwas possible that the system could be split into two, one managing thebus system and the other, the metro.

The seminar involved theHanoi People's Committee and the French Development Agency, the mainlender for the first of the five underground and over- ground railwayslines that will form Hanoi 's urban metro line system by 2020.

Work on this line, running from Nhon in the suburban district of TuLiem to Kim Ma street in Cau Giay district, began in 2010. It isexpected to be finished by 2015. The whole five lines making up theproject are scheduled to be completed by 2020.

Other experts atthe seminar agreed that the total integration of different componentsof the capital's transport system was crucial to an effective andsmooth-running system.

Julien Allaire, technical director ofthe French-run Cooperation for Urban Mobility in the Developing World,said it was necessary to have a powerful, single transport office withstrong financial capacity co-ordinating both buses and metro systems.

"If they compete against each other, none of them will benefit,"he said, noting that the problems would develop if metro lines and buslines start fighting for passengers.

Many cities around theworld had applied integrated public transport and Hanoi shouldfollow, he said, "If not, service users will suffer disadvantages andinconvenience."

Ve'ronique Hamayon, secretary general ofParis ' public transport authority, said modern urban transport systemsrelied on coordinating prices, ticketing and time-tables between railand bus services.

Moreover, she said that in major citiesaround the world, this information was also posted on the internet sothat users could navigate their way around cities more easily.

She also said that an integrated system had enabled public-transportoperators to offer discount tickets to the aged, pensioners, thedisadvantaged and students. Special discounts could also be offered atweekends and at other special times to encourage people to travel.

Hamayon said there was also a need to issue a single card that allow people to use buses and metros with ease.

"By using the same ticketing system, operators reduce costs and thepublic transport authority saves management costs, thus increasinginvestment efficiency," she said./.VNA