HCM City to improve bus services, increase ridership
A new project to improve citizens' access to public transport and limit the use of private vehicles is expected to improve the bus system in HCM City, according to the municipal Department of Transport.
HCMCity (VNS/VNA) - A new project to improve citizens' accessto public transport and limit the use of private vehicles is expected toimprove the bus system in HCM City, according to the municipal Departmentof Transport.
Theproject aims to meet 25 percent of the residents’ travel demand by2030, set up street lanes for buses, andimprove bus service quality.
Inthe 2021-2025 period, the city targets havingthe bus system connected with new urban areas, industrial parks,satellite urban areas and passenger transport routes.
Currentpublic transport meets only 6 percent of local residents'travel demand. In 2012, the city’s buses transported 305 millionturns of passengers, but the number is expected to fall to 159million this year.
Manybuses since 2017 have had to stop operation. As of July, thecity had only 128 bus routes.
LeTrung Tinh, former head of the department’s road transport management division,told Nguoi lao dong (Labourer)newspaper that lanes for buses and mini buses with fewer than 17 seatsshould be piloted.
DrVu Anh Tuan, head of Transportation Research Centre at the Vietnam- GermanyUniversity, suggested that these lanes for buses should be on Vo ThiSau-Dien Bien Phu, 3 Thang 2- Kinh Duong Vuong, Truong Chinh-Cong Hoa-Nam KyKhoi Nghia-Pasteur streets.
The lanescould also be used by ambulances, fire trucks and other priority vehicles, Tuansaid.
Inthe next five years, the number of bus routes would have to increase by400-500 compared to the present number, he said.
Tinhsaid that a proposed project on opening six mini buses’ routes wouldnot require a city subsidy and could transport passengersin the city’s alleys. However, the Ministry of Transport has rejected theproposal.
Thecity People’s Committee this year has approved supplementing more than 141billion VND (6 million USD) to provide subsidies for buses. The moneywas disbursed before August 15. Several transport enterprisessaid the subsidy helped them overcome difficulties because theydid not have enough money to pay salaries for their staffor buy buses.
Thecity’s subsidy increased from 1,123 billion VND (48 million USD) in 2018 tonearly 1,247 billion VND (53.6 million USD) in 2019 and 1,311 billion VND (56.4million USD) this year, but was still not sufficient for maintaining busoperations in the city.
Toimprove bus services and increase ridership, the city’s Transport Department isexpected to open public bidding for bus routes later this yearthrough early next year./.
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Buses on a HCM City street (Photo: VNA) 
