Ho Chi Minh City authorities have decided to halt plans to build the first bus rapid transit BRT project which is expected to cost around USD144 million.

HCM City will halt a BRT route project which was designed to link Vo Van Kiet and Mai Chi Tho boulevards.

The move was made following the municipal Department of Transport’s study showing the low feasibility of the project.

According to the department, just roughly 17,700 passengers would use this BRT route which was designed to link Vo Van Kiet and Mai Chi Tho boulevards rather than the 24,700 forecasted previously by the municipal authorities. The figure is not higher than the number of people who already use traditional buses, while the investment capital for the project would be quite big.

The city have instead decided to look at a high-quality bus route instead, which would cost much less than the BRT project.

Luong Minh Phuc, director of the Urban Civil Works Construction Investment Management Authority of HCM City (UCCI), also agreed with the decision, saying that the city may upgrade the high-quality bus route into a BRT route between the next five and 10 years.

Earlier, UCCI was assigned to study the 23-km BRT project which goes through seven districts with the total investment of USD144 million.

Currently, HCM City has three high-quality bus routes connecting Tan Son Nhat International Airport and the city centre, hospitals and coach stations. Buses on these routes are installed with European standard low-emission engines and surveillance cameras.

dtinews