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| Hà Nội plans to introduce buses that run on compressed natural gas (CNG) on a trial basis along three routes from August 1 to mark 10 years of the expansion of its administrative boundary. — Photo tienphong.vn |
Viet Nam News
HÀ NỘI — Hà Nội plans to introduce buses that run on compressed natural gas (CNG) on a trial basis along three routes from August 1 as the city marks 10 years of the expansion of its administrative boundary, the city’s Department of Transport has said.
The proposed routes are from Mỹ Đình Bus Station to Sơn Tây Bus Station, Yên Nghĩa Bus Station to Đặng Xá Urban Area and the National Hospital of Tropical Diseases to Times City. The three routes will be managed by Bảo Yến Tourism, Construction and Services Co. Ltd.
Buses will run every 15-20 minutes with fares of VNĐ9,000 (US$0.38) on the first and second routes and VNĐ8,000 ($0.34) on the third one.
According to the Hà Nội Public Transport Management and Operation Centre, CNG has many advantages. It does not adversely affect human health or the environment, and compared with other fuels, CNG is cheaper so it can help reduce production costs.
Experts say the price for 1 tonne of CNG is about $318, nearly half the price of gasoline and 42 per cent of the price of diesel. They calculated that buses running on CNG would save $8,308 in fuel compared to diesel each year.
The buses were supposed to go into operation on July 1 but there were delays due to the development of the gas pipelines and CNG filling stations, the centre said.
There is currently only one CNG filling station in Hà Nội at Bảo Yến’s headquarters in Đông Anh District.
“The use of CNG in the transport sector will help save fuel and reduce environmental pollution. However, it will take a lot of time and needs careful preparation,” a representative from Hà Nội Public Transport Management and Operation Centre told An ninh thủ đô (Capital Security) newspaper, adding that public opinion should be taken into account after the eco-friendly buses were put into operation. — VNS
