HCMC – Con Dao Island under the jurisdiction of HCMC is set to introduce its first electric commuter bus service this December, marking a step toward greener public transport and sustainable tourism.
According to the Vietnam News Agency, the HCMC Department of Construction has submitted a report to the municipal government on preparations for the launch of the new route. The department will coordinate with investors to put into operation electric bus route No. 173, running between the center of Con Dao and Co Ong. The buses will accommodate 28 to 60 passengers each.
The route will start at Con Dao Market and end at Con Dao Airport, covering about 17.1 kilometers (subject to adjustment after field survey). Services will run daily from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m., with a travel time of around 30 minutes per trip and a frequency of every 15 minutes.
Following the launch of Route 173, the department and investors plan to roll out additional routes in subsequent phases.
Under the overall public transport plan, Con Dao’s bus network will include six routes with a combined length of roughly 74 kilometers. The network is expected to cover about 90% of the island’s main roads, linking key transport hubs such as Ben Dam Port and Con Dao Airport with the island’s central area.
Besides Route 173, future routes include No. 174 (central Con Dao), No. 175 (Con Dao Center–Ben Dam Port), No. 176 (northwest area–Con Dao Center), No. 177 (southeast area–Con Dao Center), and No. 178 (connecting major tourist attractions).
