Bus commuting increasingly preferred by Hanoi residents
The high quality and service of the buses has encouraged many riders to leave their cars and motorcycles at home.
According to the Hanoi Transport and Services Corporation (Transerco), the number of people using monthly bus passes rose by more than 6% year on year. Transerco operated about 2.6 million bus trips in the last nine months, which is 90% more than in the same period in 2023.
Transerco, with its eight subsidiaries and three joint stock member companies, is responsible for operating the majority of the city's bus routes, accounting for 81.5% of the city’s subsidized bus routes. The company has piloted the operation of minibusses with a capacity of 20 to 24 passengers each to serve small, high-density streets, helping to transfer passengers from these areas to the main bus routes and Bus Rapid Transit (BRT).
BRT on Lang Ha Street, Dong Da Ward, Hanoi. Photo: Pham Hung/The Hanoi Times |
The BRT line alone has carried about 3.5 million passengers since the beginning of the year.
Furthermore, Transerco keeps up its focus on training and enhancing the quality of its services by strengthening its policies for evaluating the retraining and training of bus drivers and other service personnel. It is committed to responding quickly to comments about the quality of its bus service.
Since November 2023, Transerco has piloted e-tickets on 14 bus routes (representing 21% of Transerco's total routes).
Hanoi Bus Station Joint Stock Company is responsible for the "Find Bus Routes" utility on the iHanoi application, which helps people find information on inter-provincial bus routes departing from Giap Bat, My Dinh, and Gia Lam stations.
According to statistics from the Hanoi Public Transport Management and Operation Center, the total revenue of the entire bus network reached an estimated VND415 billion (US$16.5 million), an increase of 33% over the same period in 2023.
The quality of public transportation by bus in the capital has significantly improved both in number and quality. Meanwhile, old vehicles have been completely retired and replaced with higher-quality vehicles. Deteriorating bus shelters were upgraded.
Thai Ho Phuong, Deputy Director of the Hanoi Public Transport Management and Operation Center, revealed that in late 2023, the center proposed adjustments to the schedules, frequencies, and running times of 78 bus routes, resulting in significant positive results.
"2024 is expected to mark a breakthrough in the quality of public transport, with the expansion of urban rail and clean-fuel buses covering a wider area, encouraging residents to choose public transport over private vehicles," Phuong said.
He emphasized that the increase in ridership shows that people still have a high level of confidence and expectation in public transport. "Improving the quality of buses, optimizing the route network, and ensuring convenience will encourage people to leave their vehicles at home," Phuong said.
