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HCM CITY — The HCM City People’s Committee plans to use small vehicles of 12 to 17-seat minibuses for public transportation.

To reduce the financial burden on the State budget, the city may seek funds from private sector sources.

Bigger buses mainly operate only on streets at least 10 metres wide, which limits bus access. The city wants to use tech-based minibus routes operated by Busgo Co. Ltd to encourage residents to use public transport.

In the future, 12 to 17-seat minibuses will run on roads less than 7 metres wide, which are usually alleys, and then head to major bus stops, Phạm Xuân Mai, an associate professor at HCM City University of Technology, has said.

The company will use 16-seat vehicles to carry people from apartment buildings in ​​District 7 and Thủ Đức city to go to work in city centre offices.

The minibuses will travel to train stations, bus stations, airports, and metro line stations, Tô Quang Tùng, Director of Busgo Co. Ltd., said.

Đỗ Ngọc Hải, head of the Department of Road Management, said an appraisal council will be set up to determine the kind of investment needed. 

If approved, private enterprises will have to strictly follow the development orientation of the city, Mai said.

According to Tùng, the minibuses will operate without tapping the State budget and the fee will be decided by city authorities. — VNS