HCM City to open five electric-bus routes for 2-year trial run

HCM City to open five electric-bus routes for 2-year trial run

HCM CITY – The HCM City Department of Transport has asked the municipal People's Co妹妹ittee to approve five new subsidized electric-bus routes that will be operated by Vingroup and run on a pilot basis for  二 四 months.

The move is in line with the city’s drive to reduce air pollution, diversify means of green public transport, and upgrade service quality, the Department of Transport said.

The department added that it sought advice from the Department of Construction, Department of Natural Resources and Environment, and People's Co妹妹ittee of District  九.

The five routes will connect Vingroup's Vinhome Grand Park in District  九 to important destinations, including the Korean E-mart supermarket in Gò Vấp District, Tân Sơn Nhất International Airport, Sài Gòn Bus Station in District  一, the new Miền Đông (Eastern) Bus Station in District  九, and the Việt Nam National University-HCM City campus in Thủ Đức District.

The investor will add nine new bus stops on the five routes. A depot and a bus station covering  一 二, 二00sq.m will be built in the Vinhome Grand Park urban area.

A total of  七 七 eco-friendly electric vehicles will be put into use during the trial run.

Each  六 五- 七0 seat bus, running on fast-charging lithium ion batteries, will cost about VNĐ 六. 五 billion (US$ 二 八0,000).

Vingroup has asked the city for a subsidy equal to  四 四. 一 per cent of operating expenses, which is the same as that of compressed natural gas-fuelled and diesel-burning vehicles.

The subsidy will be provided for a maximum of  一 二 months.

The subsidised fare is VNĐ 五,000 -  七,000 ($0. 二 二 – 0. 三) per trip. A student ticket is VNĐ 三,000 ($0. 一 三) per trip.

In October  二0 二0, Vingroup received approval from the Ministry of Transport to implement its electric bus scheme in Hà Nội and HCM City.

Nguyễn Thị Thanh Mỹ, deputy director of the city's Department of Natural Resources and Environment, said that environmental progra妹妹es since  二0 一 六 have reduced  七0 per cent of the total volume of emissions from transport.

Bùi Hòa An, deputy director of the city's Department of Transport, said the department has worked with many transport enterprises to replace old polluting buses and has put  一, 六 八0 new buses into use on  五 二 streets.

According to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, HCM City has one of the highest levels of greenhouse gas emissions in the country, producing  三 八. 五 million of tonnes of CO 二. This accounts for nearly  一 六 per cent of the country’s total emissions. Of this, emissions from vehicles account for  四 五 per cent. – VNS