Bus lines in HCMC show positive signs

The total number of passengers using public transport in the first three months of the year was estimated to reach 92.93 million of turn, increasing 48.6 percent over the same period last year and gaining 23.1 percent of the 2023 plan.

Of which, there were 21.42 million turns of passengers using bus lines, surging 74.2 percent over the same period in 2022 and reaching 22.4 percent over the year plan which would be considered as a positive sign as the number of passengers using bus lines in Ho Chi Minh City continuously reduced over dozen of year ago, said the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Transport.

To achieve the change, the municipal Department of Transport has implemented massive steps to improve bus services. From the end of 2022, the Ho Chi Minh City Management Center of Public Transport (MCPT) under the Department of Transport implemented the repair and maintenance of bus stops in the whole city. So far, 3,780 out of 4,629 stop signs of bus lines have been painted; 470 out of 710 bus stations and 1,901 out of 3,075 bus stops have been painted. In addition, the MCPT has implemented the upgrade and repaired toilets at the bus stations to enhance the quality of services for passengers.

Particularly, Ho Chi Minh City has opened more subsidized and unsubsidized bus lines to increase the number of vehicles serving for residents. In 2023, the city will continue to conduct bidding to select transport units in accordance with the plan to step-by-step terminate the operation of old buses.

On the other hand, some transport businesses are proposing the operation of more E-buses in the city with the route of Vinhomes GrandPark – Emart Shopping Center; Vinhomes GrandPark – Tan Son Nhat International Airport; Vinhomes GrandPark – New Eastern Bus Station; New Eastern Bus Station – National University of Ho Chi Minh City and so on.

This would be positive sign for HCMC to step-by-step implement the policy of green energy switch of the Government with a set target by 2050 of operating 100 percent E-buses with green energy.

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