6 months from 11th november 2021

The management of Hanoi’s first metro line has allowed folding bicycles on the trains in order to provide commuters with more convenient and easier access to the public transport system. Travelers are now permitted to bring their folding bikes on board the trains of the Cat Linh-Ha Dong metro line, Vu Hong Truong, general director of Hanoi Metro Company, operator of the system, said on Sunday. Cat Linh-Ha Dong is the first-ever metro line to be put into operation in Vietnam, Truong continued, adding that several improvements still need to be made during the operation of the system. Being the only metro route in Hanoi now, it has yet to be connected with other forms of public transportation, thus allowing folding bikes on the trains will provide commuters with easier access to the metro line. Folding bikes are usually compact and light and will not take up too much space, Truong elaborated. However, the operator will deny service to passengers if their vehicles are too big … [Read more...] about Passengers allowed to carry folding bicycles on Hanoi’s first metro line

The Australian top diplomat said the ties between the countries run deep. Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong today [June 27] met with Vietnamese counterpart Bui Thanh Son in Hanoi as part of her three-day visit to affirm the new Australian government’s commitments to continue the Strategic Partnership with Vietnam. Vietnam's Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son (R) and Australia's Foreign Minister Penny Wong in Hanoi on June 27. Photos: Baoquocte In the visit which was made one month after she was sworn in as Australian Foreign Minister, Wong affirmed the role of Vietnam in the regional architecture and the two countries in the regional peace and security. In Vietnam, Wong will meet with President Nguyen Xuan Phuc, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, and Chairman of the CPV Central Committee’s Commission for External Relations Le Hoai Trung. Her trip comes ahead of next year’s 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Australia. Before the … [Read more...] about Penny Wong arrives in Hanoi, affirming new Australian cabinet relations with Vietnam

An ETC station on the Hanoi-Hai Phong Expressway. (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNS/VNA) - The Ministry of Transport has asked the Directorate for Roads of Vietnam (DRVN), the Vietnam Expressway Corporation (VEC), the Vietnam Infrastructure Development and Finance Investment Joint Stock Company (VIDIFI), and other service providers to realise the Prime Minister's request on completing automatic non-stop toll collection (ETC). The ministry requested VEC to direct service providers and related units to urgently install and operate the ETC system on highways by July 31. In case of delay, the ministry will handle it according to its competence or report it to authorities for strict handling in accordance with the law, including the suspension of toll collection. The ministry asked DRVN to direct and coordinate with VEC in deploying the ETC system on highways managed by VEC, ensuring the schedule and smooth operation. Meanwhile, VIDIFI was asked to continue piloting the ETC on the … [Read more...] about Automatic toll collection set for all expressways in Vietnam by end of July

Fifteen airlines are expected to operate international flights connecting numerous destinations with Da Nang from now until the end of the year, promising ample opportunities for the promotion and development of local tourism. These airlines will operate international routes from such countries as South Korea, Thailand, Singapore, Japan, and Malaysia, among others, to Da Nang with a total frequency of up to 90 flights per week, Ho Ky Minh, vice-chairman of the municipal People’s Committee, said on Monday. The Vietnamese coastal city recently collaborated with budget carrier Vietjet Air in opening five air routes to major cities in India and Singapore. In the first six months of this year, Da Nang has welcomed 286 international flights carrying 35,000 passengers, according to vice-chairman Minh. On June 24, the city received a record of 120 domestic and international flights, the official added. The local tourism sector has had a positive and breakthrough recovery with a … [Read more...] about 15 airlines to operate more intl’ flights to, from Vietnam’s Da Nang

Marcel Schröder, Economist, Economic Research and Regional Cooperation Department Asian Development Bank At the beginning of the conflict, the crude oil price breached $130 per barrel in March, the highest since 2008. Since then, it retreated to about $100 in April, before rising again to $120 following the European Union’s partial ban on Russian oil in May. Some worry that the oil price could spike to $200 per barrel in the coming months and how such a shock would impact the economic prospects of Asia’s developing countries. While many institutions, including ours, project a significantly higher oil price in 2022 compared with 2021, these predictions do not foresee $200 per barrel because they attach a low probability of a sudden shock to the global oil supply. A sudden shock is unlikely given the EU’s decision to gradually phase out Russian oil imports by the end of 2022, allowing an orderly transition to alternative supplies and keeping prices stable and affordable for … [Read more...] about Additional oil spike impacts cannot be ruled out