Following the bus fire, Hà Nội conducts a comprehensive inspection of public transport vehicles. — Photo laodong.vn

HÀ NỘI — Hà Nội's transport authority has ordered urgent fire safety measures across the city's entire public passenger transport network following a bus fire on Lý Thường Kiệt Street on the morning of May 16.

The Hà Nội Traffic Management and Operations Centre, under the Department of Construction, issued an urgent dispatch requiring all public bus transport enterprises and the Hà Nội Railway One Member Limited Liability Company to rigorously implement fire prevention and firefighting procedures in accordance with regulations.

All operators are required to step up inspection, maintenance and repair of vehicles before they enter service, with particular attention to batteries, cells and gas cylinders, to ensure technical safety.

Units must also monitor the technical condition of vehicles regularly, carry out full inspection and maintenance regimes, and operate only vehicles that meet safety standards.

Operators must proactively review and replace expired fire extinguishers on buses and trains, and at stations, depots and parking areas. They are also required to post fire prevention regulations, no-fire signs, firefighting instructions and evacuation maps in all areas at high risk of fire and explosion.

Transport enterprises must organise training in fire prevention and firefighting skills, evacuation and emergency response. They are also required to conduct regular inspections to identify shortcomings promptly, with strict action taken against violations.

The Traffic Management and Operations Centre has tasked its inspection and supervision division with intensifying checks on fire prevention and firefighting measures on buses, trains and at stations, and with strictly penalising any vehicle that fails to meet quality standards or carries an expired fire extinguisher.

Hà Nội's bus network currently comprises 1,946 vehicles operating across 129 routes run by 11 operators. By the end of 2026, the city is expected to have 857 buses using clean energy, comprising 718 electric vehicles and 139 compressed natural gas vehicles.

The shift to cleaner vehicles extends beyond buses. Of the 14,375 taxis currently in operation, 8,692 are electric. Among app-connected contract vehicles with fewer than eight seats, there are 23,819 electric vehicles and 105 hybrid vehicles out of a total fleet of 52,180. — VNS