According to the HCM City’s Department of Transport, route D4 is one of five electric-bus routes to be piloted in the city for a duration of two years.
An electric bus in HCM City
The 29-kilometre route D4 will link Vinhomes Grand Park, a residential area in Thu Duc City, and Saigon Bus Station in District 1.
About 77 65-70 passenger capacity electric buses would be used. They are scheduled for the operation from 5 am to 9 pm every day.
The four other electric bus routes are expected to be put into operation in the third and fourth quarter of this year. They consist of a 27-kilometre route connecting Vinhomes Grand Park-Emart, a 30-kilometre route running from Vinhomes Grand Park to Tan Son Nhat International Airport, an 8.5-kilometre route travelling from Vinhomes Grand to Mien Dong New Bus Station and a 10-kilometre route linking Mien Dong New Bus Station and HCM City National University.
The suggested ticket price is VND 3,000 (USD0.13) per trip for students and VND 5,000-7,000 for others.
The electric bus service will receive a 44.1 percent city subsidy of its operational costs during the trial phase.