HCM City improves bus services

Under a plan to develop its bus fleet using clean fuels, the city will replace its 1,680 buses with a new fleet using compressed natural gas (CNG). Sixty-six buses were replaced in 2015; 753 were replaced last year, and the remaining 861 buses will be put into operation this year.

To ensure the success of the programme, the city has closely cooperated with PV Gas, which pledged to supply stable and safe sources of CNG.

Buses using compressed natural gas, which can save up to 30% of energy costs, are used on the Ben Thanh Market-Cho Lon route

According to the HCM City People’s Committee, in 2017 the city’s bus fleet will provide services to 600 million passengers, and will meet 15% to 20% of the city residents’ demand for transportation services.

To realise the targets, the city’s transportation sector will adopt major measures to attract residents to bus services.

These include punctual, comfortable and safe bus services; priority lanes for buses in inner districts; new bus routes to connect bus terminals and railway stations to Tan Son Nhat Airport; and new routes to universities and industrial parks to meet student and worker demands for transportation services.

Tran Chi Trung, Director of HCM City Centre for Public Transportation Services, said infrastructure facilities for bus services will be improved this year, including more bus stations and bus stops, and especially facilities for handicapped passengers.

In addition, new technologies will be applied, too, such as intelligent bus tickets, more cameras and bus monitoring facilities. Promotional campaigns will also seek to attract passengers to the bus services.

The city’s transportation sector will cooperate with other relevant agencies to link public transportation services and to provide training courses to improve drivers’ passenger-serving skills in order to portray a friendly bus service.