Ho Chi Minh City’s Urban Civil Works Construction Investment Management Authority (UCCI) has selected Saigon Bus (SGB) as provider of the city’s new Bus Rapid Transit for the first 5 years of operations. For the BRT No 1 project, SGB will establish a BRT Unit with specific requirements to assure sufficient capacity for effective BRT operations. The selected fuel for buses for this project is Compressed Natural Gas (CNG).
The World Bank has provided a loan for this urban development project, ref. ‘Ho Chi Minh City Green Transport Development (P126507)’, of USD 124 million. The city is providing an additional $13.5 million.
The BRT falls within the scope of Ho Chi Minh’s plan to address serious transportation-related issues, including increasing traffic congestion, deteriorating air quality and poor transportation options for the less wealthy. ‘Public Transport Development in Ho Chi Minh City to 2025’ seeks to raise the capacity of the public transport system to meet 25-30% of the total travel demand in the city.
Included in the Plan are six BRTs.
(Sources: World Bank and Ho Chi Minh City)
