VietNamNet Bridge – The first modern Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) line in Ho Chi Minh City on the Vo Van Kiet-Mai Chi Tho Highway is expected to be ready by mid-2018.

Vo Van Kiet Highway. With the new line, Ho Chi Minh hoped it will help cut down energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions as well as the number of accidents. (Photo: SGGP)

The World Bank is at present funding Vietnam to develop BRT in three big cities including Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi and Da Nang. HCMC will be funded to build the first modern Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) line on the Vo Van Kiet-Mai Chi Tho Highway.

Luong Minh Phuc, Director of the City Urban Civil Works Construction Investment Management Authority (UCCI) as investor of first BRT project, said the cost of the 28.6 kilometer route will be VND3,248 billion (US$155 million) with US$142 million coming from the World Bank Official Development Assistance Fund and the City budget.

Around 30 buses for the first BRT will use compressed natural gas (CNG) starting at the proposed new Mien Tay Bus Station in Binh Chanh District in HCMC and end at Cat Lai Intersection in District 2. There will be two transit stations in Cho Lon in District 6 and Ben Thanh Market in District 1.

The first line will stop at two intermediate stations and 31 other stops along the route.

It is scheduled to start in April 2014 and operate by mid-2018.

The line is hoped to help cut down energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions as well as the number of accidents.

The city is working on plan to invest five other lines aims to complete a City's public transport system. Accordingly, the 24 kilometer BRT line 2 is planned along Nguyen Van Linh Street from the Mien Tay Terminal to Phu My Bridge which connects District 2 and District 7.

The 19 kilometer line 3 will run along Ring Road 2 from An Suong Intersection to the new Mien Tay Terminal.

The 14.5 kilometer line 4 will be from Kha Van Can Street to Chien Thang Park along the Tan Son Nhat- Binh Loi Ring Road.

The 8.7 kilometer line 5 will run from Thoai Ngoc Hau Street to Nguyen Van Linh Street and the 8.5 kilometer line 6 will run along Quang Trung Street.

UCCI hopes the BRT will help improve traffic capacity and cut short travel time on the east-west routes.

Source: SGGP