An electric bus operates in Hà Nội. Free physical electronic cards with embedded chips will be delivered to passengers entitled to free travel on subsidised public bus services. — VNA/VNS Photo Phạm Tuấn Anh

HÀ NỘI — The Hà Nội Traffic Management and Operations Centre (TMOC) will issue free physical electronic cards with embedded chips to passengers entitled to free travel on subsidised public bus services within the capital city.

The work aimed to maximise residents’ mobility and improve convenience, especially for older people, alongside the existing virtual (non‑physical) cards on smartphones and citizen identity cards, the TMOC announced on Sunday.

Online applications will be accepted from Monday at “vedientuonline.com.vn”.

Required application documents are scans or photographs of both sides of the citizen identity card and a portrait photo of the cardholder. Distribution of the first batch of cards is scheduled on July 26-31.

Applicants may choose one of two delivery options: collect in person at No 1 Kim Mã Street, Giảng Võ Ward, Hà Nội (during office hours) or receive delivery by courier to the registered address (postage charged according to the courier’s tariff).

Existing free cards of the old model (non‑chip cards) will remain valid until the end of this year.

Earlier, on June 25, the city’s integrated multimodal electronic ticketing system was formally launched across the public transport network.

According to the TMOC, this marks an important advance in modernising and standardising the management, operation, ticketing and acceptance of public passenger transport services. Full digitalisation of processes establishes a centralised management ecosystem and creates seamless connectivity between state regulators, operators and public users.

For the first time, the centre can produce timetables, monitor operations and approve transport orders for all operators on a single platform – the FMC Governance Centre – where data is no longer dispersed but is displayed transparently, promptly and accurately in real time.

With a comprehensive digitised data repository, regulators for the first time have a scientific basis and favourable conditions to make considered decisions to review, adjust and rationalise the public transport network in line with operational realities, and to adapt fare policies flexibly over time without the disruptions associated with issuing conventional paper tickets. — VNS