Electric buses during a trial run in HCM City last December. — VNA/VNS Photo Tiến Lực

HCM CITY — The first electric-bus routes in HCM City are scheduled to open within the first quarter of this year, the municipal Department of Transport has announced.

It is one of the five electric-bus routes to be piloted in the southern economic hub for a duration of two years after the plan was recently approved by the municipal People’s Committee.

Proposed by Vinbus Ecology Transport Services Ltd Co, a subsidiary of Vingroup, the five routes would link Vinhomes Grand Park, a residential area in Thủ Đức City, with E-mart Mall, Tân Sơn Nhất International Airport, Saigon Bus Station in District 1, the new Miền Đông (southeastern region) Bus Station, and the precinct of Việt Nam National University – HCM City in Thủ Đức.

About 77 electric buses would be used, with each having a capacity for 65-70 passengers.

The suggested ticket price is VNĐ3,000 (US$0.13) per trip for students and VNĐ5,000-7,000 for others.

For now, bus stations already exist at five destinations and if approved, the investor only needs to establish a station at Vinhomes Grand Park, according to the department.

The People’s Committee has assigned the Department of Transport to coordinate with relevant departments and agencies in the implementation.

The routes are to serve the travelling demand of the public, especially in new residential areas, high-tech parks, administrative areas in Thủ Đức City and those that have yet to access public transport services.

The department said the services will receive subsidy of 44.1 per cent of the operation cost during the trial phase, and the rate will be adjusted after the municipal People's Committee issues technical norms and unit cost for electric bus. — VNS