Ferry to Cat Ba Island is congested despite the new terminal.

In Hai Phong, tourists flocked to Cat Ba Island in Cat Hai district during the weekend, causing the new Dong Bai ferry terminal to become overloaded, with cars lined up for more than a kilometer.

The congestion started at 10 am and continues to 4 pm with no sign of stopping. Mr. Vu Manh Trung, Head of Dong Bai Ferry Terminal, said that 100% of the capacity has been mobilized, with 5 large ferries and 4 smaller ferries running continuously. "We are focusing on regulating traffic; we cannot yet count the number of passengers crossing the ferry, but there has been a sudden surge," Mr. Trung said.

Nguyen Hong Phong, a resident of Hong Bang district, drove his family to Cat Ba for a weekend trip, believing that the newly opened ferry terminal would be more spacious than the old one and therefore wouldn't be congested. "But in an hour, I only managed to move about 50 meters. It took me two hours to get close to the waiting area, and I don't know when I'll be able to board the ferry. Luckily, it's a cool day," Phong said.

Behind Mr. Phong, cars with license plates from many northern provinces lined up for more than a kilometer. Many drivers impatiently opened their doors to check.

The Dong Bai ferry experienced congestion from 10:00 AM on March 30th. Photo: Le Tan

During the March 31st - April 1st holiday, on Cat Ba Island, the Cat Hai district government organized the Fishing Village Festival and inaugurated the tourism season with a series of attractive events such as: Hot Air Balloon Festival, Fastest X Cat Ba Amatina race, Dragon Boat Race...

Congestion at the ferry terminal to Cat Ba Island has been ongoing for many years. Since March 1st, the Dong Bai ferry terminal has replaced the Got ferry terminal, handling passenger and vehicle transport from the mainland to Cat Ba Island. However, due to the age of the passenger ferries, vehicles have difficulty boarding and disembarking, contributing to the congestion.

Cars lined up near the entrance to the cable car station, more than a kilometer from the ferry terminal. Photo: Le Tan

The People's Committee of Hai Phong City has directed the construction of at least five new, modern ferries with high speed and a capacity of approximately 15 cars and hundreds of passengers to supplement the Dong Bai ferry in the near future.

Le Tan

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