HCM City (VNA) – Smart bus cards are now piloted in Ho Chi Minh Cityafter a launching ceremony was held in the southern metropolis on March 8.
The pilot programme is orientated towards non-cash payments and the use of a singlepayment card for all public transport types in the city, according to TranQuang Lam, Deputy Director of the municipal Department of Transport.
The use of e-tickets is in line with the city’s smart urban building plan, aswell as the world’s public transport development trend, he said, adding thatthe pilot programme is scheduled to last one year.
The smart cards will first be applied on route No.86 running from Ben Thanh to TonDuc Thang University, said Director of the city’s Management and OperationCentre for Public Transport Tran Chi Trung.
The municipal People’s Committee on February 12, 2019 issued a document approvingthe transport department’s proposal to allow the Vietnam Joint Stock CommercialBank for Industry and Trade and Zion JSC to pilot automatic bus fare paymentsusing corporate funding.
During the 2018-2020 period, HCM City will focuson developing its public transportation system, which is expected to meet 15percent of residents’ transport needs by 2020.
The city will also expand public bus routes thatconnect to new urban areas and industrial parks in the city, and link the TanSon Nhat International Airport with neighbouring provinces.
New bus routes to transfer students to schoolsand universities across the city will also be established.
The city has prioritised public transport,including new bus stations and upgrading old ones, installing supervisorysystems at stations, and setting up motorbike parking lots for passengers whouse public transport.
It expects to complete the use of smart cardsfor all public buses by 2020. –VNA
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The programmes have brought about positive changes to rural infrastructure, comprehensively improved the material and spiritual lives of farmers, and contributed to Vietnam's economic restructuring, said PM Pham Minh Chinh.
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PM Pham Minh Chinh highlighted how Vietnam's revolutionary press has continuously evolved and strengthened over the past century, affirming its role as a sharp and vital political, cultural, and ideological weapon serving the Fatherland and the people in the glorious revolutionary cause of the Party.
Vietnamese Consul General in Fukuoka Vu Chi Mai highlighted the growing demand for Vietnamese workers in Kyushu, especially in Fukuoka, Oita, and Saga prefectures. Currently, the region employs about 35,000 Vietnamese manual workers and over 5,000 IT engineers.
In Vietnam’s case, she said, President Ho Chi Minh demonstrated his strategic vision by founding the revolutionary press a century ago. The late leader understood the press's role not only as a means to reflect the country’s realities but also as a powerful tool to strengthen national unity and inspire the resistance wars and national construction process.
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The VNA delegation, led by General Director Vu Viet Trang, actively participated in the event, engaging in both professional and diplomatic activities.
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Granma and the VNA have great potential for cooperation, especially in sharing content regularly, so that VNA products are published on Granma platforms and vice versa, thereby helping Cuban and Vietnamese people access true information and gain a deep understanding of each other's country and people.
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The strategic product, managed and operated by the Vietnam News Agency Digital Media Centre (VNA Media), is an official channel for popularising the Party and State’s information and documents as well as delivering mainstream and trustworthy news to both domestic and international audiences through various kinds of multimedia formats.
Since President Ho Chi Minh founded Thanh Nien (Young People) newspaper in 1925, the Vietnamese revolutionary press has become the voice of the people. During the resistance war against the colonialists, journalists took great personal risks to inspire patriotism and the will of rising up against foreign invaders.
The total investment exceeded 319 billion VND (12.2 million USD), including over 261 billion VND from the state budget and 57.5 billion VND mobilised from businesses, organisations, and individuals.
A bus station in Ho Chi Minh City (Photo: VNA) 
