HCMC – The HCMC Department of Transport has proposed the municipal government submit its plan to put electric buses into operation to the prime minister to protect the environment and expand the city’s public transport network.
The department also proposed ordering electric buses made by VinFast, the automotive arm of Vingroup, and conducting the pilot program within 24 months, Tuoi Tre Online reported.
During a study on the proposal to pilot electric buses, other departments and agencies in the city threw their weight behind the plan, according to the municipal department.
The HCMC Department of Natural Resources and Environment said that opening five routes for electric buses in the city would contribute to reducing environmental pollution and cutting greenhouse gas emissions.
Besides, the government of District 9 backed Vingroup’s proposal to introduce routes for buses powered by clean energy sources in HCMC.
Moreover, the HCMC Department of Planning and Investment said that initiating five electric bus routes connecting the Vinhomes Grand Park project in District 9 with other parts of the city was suitable to HCMC’s bus route development plan.
Echoing the view, the municipal Department of Transport said that the start and end points of bus routes mainly located in the Vinhomes Grand Park project will create favorable conditions for building parking lots, maintenance facilities and charging stations.
Vingroup had earlier proposed the prime minister allow implementing a project to operate electric buses in Hanoi and HCMC.