Saigon-Vung Tau hydrofoil firms seek service extension as deadline nears
Two operators of the hydrofoil route connecting Ho Chi Minh City and the coastal city of Vung Tau are seeking permission to maintain service for another four years, a fortnight before they are forced to cease operations.
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The hydrofoil service departs from the Nha Rong Wharf in District 4, Ho Chi Minh City, and arrives at the hydrofoil station in Vung Tau, a popular beach city in Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province.
However, both operators have been asked to cease service by the end of this year, as their hydrofoils surpass the service life threshold of 20 years as stipulated by the government.
The companies have recently lodged a competition to local authorities, seeking permission to continue service until the end of 2020.
Quang Hung Trans Co. said it will be a waste of resources if the company has to cease its hydrofoil service by the December 31 deadline.
In January 2014, a hydrofoil carrying 85 passengers, including 37 foreigners, caught fire on the Saigon River, prompting the Ho Chi Minh City administration to suspend all hydrofoil operations. The companies were only allowed to resume service in December that year, with the fleet cut from 14 boats to four and the number of operators declined from three to two.
Quang Hung Trans Co. said it had invested heavily on upgrading the hydrofoils to resume service in 2014, and the investment will be wasted if the service has to cease by this year’s end.
