The six-month pilot project was launched last November on the route from the AEON Mall Ha Dong to the Van Khe BRT Station as approved by the Hanoi Department of Transport in an attempt to make it easier for passengers to access bus routes and the bus rapid transit (BRT) system.
With funding from the European Commission and relevant agencies, passengers have used the service free of charge in the pilot period. The vehicles help passengers of the Kim Ma-Yen Nghia BRT route to travel between the Van Khe bus stop and Aeon Mall Ha Dong.
However, the service has failed to attract customers who say that it takes too long to register to use the vehicle.
"I've used the service one time after it was launched late last year," a local woman named Thuy Quynh said. "It took me five minutes to register through an app on my mobile phone. However, when I logged in to use it last month, the system required me to scan the QR code and fill in my personal information again. I decided to take a motorbike taxi instead."
Another local resident, Thang Ha, said that he finds it more convenient and faster to use private motorbikes on this route.
According to a staff member of the project, the service serves more passengers who go shopping during the weekend while few use them on weekdays.
Meanwhile, vice head of the Transport Development Institute, Pham Hoai Chung, said that the pilot route should be longer and connect to more residential areas in order to properly evaluate the project's results.
The project's management board has recently proposed to the Transport Department to extend the pilot period for six more months until November this year. The route will be expanded to Van Quan BRT Station to serve more passengers.