Ho Chi Minh City has added twenty-one new buses to its fleet, that will run on Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), are equipped with an automatic ticket selling box, a CTV camera, monitoring equipment for number of trips made and an audio announcement facility informing of arrival of next bus stop.
The new buses will ply between Ben Thanh Bus Station in District 1 to Cho Lon Bus Station in District 5. The buses have been brought in by the Department of Traffic and Transport and the Saigon Passenger Transport Company.
The new buses have been numbered ‘01’ and will traverse the 8.5km route, making 320 trips per day from 5 am to 9 pm and cart an average of 12,000 passengers per day.
CNG is considered a clean fuel and comprises of compressed methane and ethane. The fuel has a high octane rating, meaning it is compressed and not highly inflammable. It vaporizes in the air without catching fire, thereby minimizing the risk of an explosion.
Municipal authorities hope that CNG-powered buses will reduce pollution in the city and save at least 40 per cent in operational costs, as compared to petrol-powered buses.
