A maritime service vessel operates in Gành Rái Bay, a key shipping gateway serving HCM City and southern ports. — VNA/VNS Photos Đoàn Mạnh Dương
Gành Rái Bay serves as the main maritime access route to ports in HCM City, Đồng Nai Province and the Cái Mép-Thị Vải port complex.
Each year, more than 50,000 sea-going vessels transit the bay, including nearly 5,000 ships with a gross tonnage exceeding 80,000 tonnes.
In addition, around 60,000 movements by high-speed passenger boats, fishing vessels, offshore oil and gas service ships and logistics vessels are recorded annually, creating extremely dense and complex traffic conditions with multiple intersecting routes and persistent safety risks.
Gành Rái Bay is the main maritime gateway to HCM City and the Cái Mép–Thị Vải port complex, handling one of the busiest shipping routes in southern Việt Nam.
The number of ultra-large container vessels calling weekly at Cái Mép has increased rapidly.
The largest ships currently in service reach 233,000 tonnes, carry up to 24,000 TEUs and measure 400 metres in length.
This growth has made the long-standing practice of using a single shared channel for all vessel types increasingly impractical.
In response, the Ministry of Construction has instructed the Vietnam Maritime and Inland Waterways Administration to develop and implement a dedicated traffic separation scheme at Gành Rái Bay to ensure safety and optimise the operation of this critical maritime corridor.
According to the HCM City Maritime Administration, the scheme has been officially approved and will be organised and operated under its coordination.
The Vessel Traffic Service (VTS) Centre, responsible for monitoring and coordinating maritime traffic at Gành Rái Bay, is located atop Núi Nhỏ in HCM City’s Vũng Tàu Ward.
Dedicated lanes, roundabout-style traffic control introduced
The system includes a central deep-water lane 350 metres wide reserved for vessels over 50,000 tonnes, particularly those exceeding 80,000 DWT or requiring deep draughts.
Flanking the deep-water route are two one-way traffic lanes, each 170 metres wide, designated for vessels of up to 50,000 DWT.
Inbound ships will keep to the right-hand lane, while outbound traffic will use the left-hand lane heading towards buoy No. 0.
At the convergence point of several river channels, including the Dinh, Cái Mép and Ngã Bảy rivers, a circular traffic zone has been established.
The zone also connects with the specialised channel serving the Long Sơn Industrial Service Zone. It has a diameter of 1,030 metres.
Vessels transiting this “roundabout” must navigate counter-clockwise.
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Service vessels wait at the PTSC Downstream Port before continuing their journey through the Gành Rái Bay shipping channel.
The scheme also designates three controlled crossing zones, each up to 1,500 metres long, where vessels may cross the traffic lanes under conditions that do not obstruct safe navigation.
Nearshore waters between the shoreline and pilot boarding areas are reserved for fishing vessels.
A comprehensive traffic management regulation has been developed alongside the scheme, detailing reporting procedures, communication requirements, traffic coordination principles and the responsibilities of relevant agencies.
The regulation is supported by 11 core operational rules covering lane usage, pilotage balance, lookout duties, mandatory AIS operation, overtaking responsibilities, VTS coordination and emergency response procedures.
Vũ Cao Đàm, Deputy General Director of the Vietnam Maritime Safety Corporation, said the system had been designed in full compliance with International Maritime Organisation (IMO) standards and guidelines of the Maritime Safety Committee (MSC).
“The scheme is fully compatible with international electronic navigational charts and modern AIS and VTS systems, allowing real-time monitoring and reliable guidance even in adverse weather conditions,” he said.
The maritime signalling system in the area has been upgraded with synchronised flashing technology and AIS integration.
After two months of trial operations, the separation scheme has already delivered positive results, particularly for large vessels, said Vũ Ngọc An, Director of the Vũng Tàu Pilotage Enterprise.
A container vessel navigates the Cái Mép port channel, one of Việt Nam’s busiest maritime routes.
Maritime authorities said the initiative marks a major step in modernising Việt Nam’s public port infrastructure and traffic management, aligning domestic practices with those applied at busy international shipping lanes worldwide.
By separating opposing traffic flows, reducing collision risks and improving coordination through the Vessel Traffic Service (VTS) Centre, the system is expected to enhance port efficiency, cut operating costs for shipping companies and strengthen the international competitiveness of southern ports, including the Cái Mép–Thị Vải complex.
Following broad consensus reached at a conference on December 18 involving more than 150 shipping lines, port operators, pilotage organisations and maritime service providers, the HCM City Maritime Administration is conducting training for VTS operators and relevant stakeholders.
Pilot operations of the traffic separation scheme are scheduled to begin in early 2026.
Officials said the project would help consolidate HCM City’s role as a strategic maritime gateway and lay a solid foundation for developing the region into an international logistics hub in the long term.