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| The city’s transport department has proposed a pilot of electronic transportation cards on the BRT route 01 starting in September. — VNS Photo Đoàn Tùng |
Viet Nam News
HÀ NỘI — The Hà Nội Transport Department and the Hà Nội Transport Corporation have proposed to the People’s Committee a pilot programme on using an electronic transportation cards on BRT route 01, connecting the Kim Mã and Yên Nghĩa bus stations.
Travellers using e-cards tap them on a sensor to pay and can top up their e-cards at every bus station on the route. This saves them having to purchase single journey tickets for every ride.
The pilot programme is scheduled to runin September and October.
Vũ Văn Viện, head of the transport department said the e-card would replace printed tickets, which are a waste of paper and money for the transport corporation. An estimated 2,500 e-cards are expected to be issued during the pilot programme, he said.
The corporation plans to co-operate with Viettel to install sensor systems on buses and at bus stations if the proposal is approved, he said. The installation cost is estimated at about VNĐ22.5 billion (US$990,000).
Nguyễn Hoàng Hải, director of the Hà Nội Urban Traffic Management and Operation Centre, said the e-card model will be implemented widely on the city’s bus system from 2018 after relevant agencies examine results of the pilot programme.
Hải said the biggest challenge now was the quality of the sensor system. “The sensor equipment needs to be highly durable and stable,” he added.
Developed countries in the region, including Singapore and South Korea, have been using electronic transportation cards for many years. — VNS
