Transportation
Dak Lak is in the centre of the Central Highlands consisting of four other provinces namely Gia Lai, Kon Tum, Lam Dong, and Dak Nong. To the north, the province is neighboring Gia Lai, which is on the National Highway 14 running to Da Nang Economic Centre, Dung Quat Industrial Zone, and Chu Lai Open Economic Zone (in Quang Nam and Quang Ngai). Along the National Highway 26 to the east, the province is next to Khanh Hoa province - a nationally significant centre for tourism with the seaport favourable for foreign trading. To the South of the Province, the National Highway 14 runs across Dak Nong, Binh Phuoc, Binh Duong on to Ho CHi Minh City - the key economic centre in Southern Vietnam. To the west of the province, across Dak Rue border gate lies Cambodia Kingdom.
It is supposed that the convenience in transportation amidst the area will surely provide favourable condition for the development of service and commerce. In parallel with the restoration of Ho Chi Minh Trail budgeted by the Government, a series of projects have been invested in order to exploiting the advantages of this route. Typically, the construction of Bo Y Border Gate and the roads forming branches of the Trans-Asia road which runs from Con Minh (China) to Myanmar, Laos, and Thailand will result in the establishment of the international relationship between North-Eastern provinces of Thailand, Southern provinces of Laos and those in the Central Highlands, Coastal and South-Eastern areas of Vietnam. This will also attract foreign visitors to the Central Highlands and Dak Lak as well as tourists from Dak Lak to travel abroad.
The investment into further construction and improvement of the current province's internal traffic will apparently facilitate the trading with Cambodia.
With such advantages, Dak Lak is assumed to be the centre for commodity exchange among areas, which in return paves the way for developing tourism and services in the coming years.
It is estimated that the total number of kilometres of the national highway in the province is 397.5 of which:
- 126 kilometres counting from the border with Gia Lai to that with Dak Nong is of the National Highway 14
- 119 kilometres counting form the border with Khanh Hoa to Buon Ma Thuot city is of the National Highway 26
- 84 kilometres counting from Buon Ma Thuot city to the border with Lam Dong is of the National Highway 27
- 68.5 kilometres counting from the border with Gia Lai to that with Dak Nong is of the National Highway 14C.
Airway: Daily flights on medium-sized airplane A320 from Buon Ma Thuot to Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and Da Nang and vice versa are always available.
Buon Ma Thuot Airport is curently invested to improve its facilities which will meet the demand for transportation in the future.
Bus transport: At present, bus lines are available to various places in Buon Ma Thuot City and from Buon Ma Thuot City to the centres of almost all the districts, both meeting the demand for travelling and reducing the traffic accidents.
Scheme for road traffic from 2010 to 2020
From now to the year 2020, as planned, the current road traffic is supposed to be restored and improved. Furthermore, constructions of new roads which are of great significance for ensuring the density of road network of over 0.6 kilometre per square kilometre will also be carried out with an attempt to have 100 percent of the province and districts' urban roads covered by asphalt or concrete and 50 percent of the communes' roads stiffened.
It is anticipated that the scheme of road network construction in Dak Lak Province will be as follows:
- Improve the four National Highways running across the province and all of current roads around the province
- Embark on the construction of new national highway from Dak Lak to Phu Yen and Truong Son Dong highway, upgrade the current district-level roads to provincial level.
- Restore and improve the system of district-level, urban, surburban roads and roads for agricultural and forestry purposes.
- Establish a relatively complete network of roads connecting with the national road network and the routes within the delta of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia.
Scheme for construction of fixed traffic buildings:
- Build up a stopover at Ha Lan Pass in Krong Buk District on Ho Chi Minh Trail.
- Plan to construct 3 long-distance bus stations in Buon Ma Thuot city and 1 bus station in the centre of the city; establish a network of bus stops inside and outside the city; build up 3 parking areas for cars, lorries, and tourist buses in tourist attractions, trade centres, and market. As scheduled,there will be 1 to 2 long-distance bus stations in every district
- It is anticipated that one Driving Test Centre and a network of Centres for Vehicle Inspection and Register in Buon Ma Thuot, Eakar and Krong Buk districts will be constructed.
Airway At present, Buon Ma Thuot Airport with a capacity of receiving 150,000 passengers per year is of grade 4E which only meets the safety requirements for A321 airplane to take off and land. By the year 2010, it is estimated that the airport has received 300,000 passengers per year. It is anticipated that the number of passengers and freights will be 800,000 and 3,000 tons per year in 2020 respectively.
Railway: According to the traffic scheme, the railway route from Tuy Hoa to Buon Ma Thuot is supposed to be 160 kilometres in length, 85 kilometres of which is in Dak Lak territory. There will be 8 stations along the route, 5 of which are in Dak Lak territory.
Post and Telecommunications
The entire system of telecommunications have been digitized and well-equiped with modern devices. The telephone network has reached the centres of all the communes in the province with the rate of 5.2 telephones per 100 people.
Currently, mobile signal is available in all districts with a wide range of mobile signal providers including Mobifone, Vinaphone, Viettel, S-Fone, EVNTelecom, HT Mobile.
Internet service is now also available in almost all districts provided by VDC and Viettel.
According to the project for developing the national post and telecommunication from year 2010 to 2015 and the 2020's orientation for development, the post and telecommunication in Dak Lak will be as follows:
By the year 2010 the national information network will have been covered in all districts and almost all communes through optical fiber cables and other bandwidth transmissions. At least, there will be 30 percent of the subscribers having access to telecommunications and high-speed internet. All administrative organizations at provincial, municipal and district levels will have access to high-speed internet and the Governmental wide-ranging network. Telephone service will be available in all communes in the province and internet can be accessed in 100 percent of the communes' cultural post offices and centres for community education.
It is expected that emphasis will be placed on developing such services as mobile, internet, e-commerce, services that supports E-government, public services and other kinds of VAT services in the province.
In 2010 the postal and telecommunication services have reached the average number of under 4,000 citizens per service point within the average radius of 3 kilometres. Daily newspapers have also been available to a hundred percent of the commune as scheduled. By the year 2020, it is anticipated that the postal and telecommunication services will have reached the average number of under 3,000 citizens per service point within an average radius of under 2 kilometres.
In 2010, the average density of telephones reached 32 to 35 telephones per 100 people and that of internet was 8 to 12 subscribers per 100 people. By the year 2020, the average density of telephones will have reached 50 telephones per 100 people.
The emphasis will also be placed on training and developing the human resource professionally qualified, capable of making use of the modern techology, and good at business managment.
Water supply
The current central system of water processing and supply can ensure fresh water for daily use for people in Buon Ma Thuot City, Buon Ho town (Krong Buk district), Buon Trap (Krong Ana district), and Quang Phu (Cu M'gar district)... Besides, there exist other water supply systems for Industrial zones and complexes.
In 2006 the rate of households having access to fresh water was 60 percent, of which 72 percent of the households were in the urban area, and 46 percent were in the rural areas.
2010 Plan: By the year 2010, it is expected that 100 percent of the urban population and 70 percent of the population in rural areas will have access to fresh water with the average amount of 120 litres per day and 80-90 litres per day respectively. By the year 2020, 100 percent of the population will have had access to fresh water.
In order to obtain the aims mentioned above it is necessary for the authority to seek for support from ODA, NGOs and the economic sectors, and contribution from the people to invest in the construction of more water supply systems, water supply plants and stations. Those who invest in the construction of water supply system will be entitled to collect money from beneficiary households. Encouragement will also be given to the cooperative businesses in water for daily life. Poor households are encouraged to install and use home water supply system with lower price or through deffered loan.
Electric power
Electricity network: Basically Dak Lak electricity generating company can ensure to supply sufficient electric power for production and daily life. At present, the electric network has covered all of the communes in the province with 84% of the households having access to electricity.
Hydroelectric system: Thanks to a system of big lakes like Lak lake in Lak district and Serepok river with hydroelectric reserves of about 2,636 million KW, Dak Lak is supposed to have great potential for the develoment of hydroelectricity. At present, there have been 23 projects invested on small hydroelectric constructions with a total output capacity of 14,280 KW. Such big hydroelectric plants as Buon Kuop and Buon Tua Srah hydroelectric plants with the ouput capacities of respectively 280MW and 86MW are currently under construction. Additionally, the projects on contruction of Serepok III and IV hydroelectric plants with the output capacities of respectively 220MW and 70MW are going to be brought into effect.
2010 to 2015 Plan: Improve and develop the current electric power network in Dak Lak province to meet the demand for production, service businesses and people's daily use. Strive to reach the rate of 95% of the households in the province having access to electric power by 2010 and 100% by 2015.
Build up more small and medium-sized hydroelectric plants to provide supplementary electric resources for the current electric power network of the province contributing to increasing the income for the local budget.
Plan to build up more 110KV transformer stations to ensure the constant supply of electricity from the year 2010 to 2020. Establish wires to conduct electricity from 110kv transformer stations to the industrial zones. Continue to improve the 110 KV network in the secondary electricity generating stations.
Irrigation network
Up to present there have been 533 irrigational works of all types in the province including 441 resevoirs, some spillways and irrigational stations. With a total capcity of 421 million cubic metre of water from the irrigational works (except for Easup lake), the amount of water is supposed to be sufficient for the irrigation of 18,000 ha of rice field and 40,600 ha of coffee
Plan for investment in irrigational works to the year 2010: Invest in construction of 625 irrigational works of which 175 are newly built, 152 are restored and upgraded, 298 works are of the canal strenthening programme. It is anticipated that these works would help ensure the irrigation water for 88,522 ha of plants. It is estimated that the total investment capital for the project is VND 4,850. billion. By the year 2010 there will have been sufficient water for the irrigation for 70% of the plant area and the rate will reach 90% by the year 2020.