In 2023, the Hanoi Transport Corporation proposed the adjustment of the itineraries of eight bus routes to enhance bus connections as well as expand the service area, and 10 other bus routes to avoid traffic jams. 

However, to date, there is no bus network for the old residential quarter. The Hanoi Transport Department believes it would be better use small buses for the area.

Nguyen Hoang Hai, deputy chair of the Hanoi Public Transport Association, said the use of small buses for the old residential quarter in the central area of the city does not depend on officials’ wishes, but on infrastructure conditions.

“There are different sizes of buses in Hanoi, from small to big. If infrastructure conditions are good, it would be a good idea to use buses for the area. However, planners not only have to think of how to run the buses, but also organize traffic and ensure social order and safety,” he said.

Meanwhile, with conditions of the old residential quarter, Hai thinks it is not easy to run buses there. If the watchdog agency wants to develop buses in the area, it will have to conduct thorough field work and deploy the plan step by step.

With the current transport conditions, Hai said when a new mode of transport is launched, there will be problems that need to be fixed concurrently.

Agencies will have to decide on the kinds of vehicles to be used, the itineraries and where to set up stations, to avoid possible negative impact on the people in the old residential quarter.

“Agencies will have to answer many questions, such as technical problems, traffic organization, management and regulation,” Hai said.

“I think that if Hanoi conducts a survey thoroughly, it will find some sections of streets where small buses can operate. In fact, there are small buses running on routes in tge inner city,” he added.

Asked what would happen if small buses run in old residential quarter, Hai said the small buses won’t deprive taxi firms of passengers, because every means of transport has its own clients. 

While taxis mostly serve passengers door to door and runnshort and medium distance, buses serve passengers on longer routes and with fixed itineraries.

N. Huyen