Most of the buses on the number 10 route linking Mien Tay Station and the Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh City, have deteriorated after being used for many years. This has been raised as one of the reasons for declining passenger numbers.
Air conditioners on some buses on the route have experienced technical problems.
The doors of a bus on the number 10 route have become rusty and even cracked, causing difficulties. The majority of window handles in the vehicle have broken and are fixed with wire hooks.
Inside, there is no speaker system to announce bus stops, inconveniencing passengers.
According to a bus conductor, the bus runs seven trips from 5 am to 7 pm every day. He spends around 20 minutes cleaning the vehicle every day. Most of its passengers are students and the elderly.
Bao Quy from Binh Thanh District who usually takes the bus to work hoped that buses in the city would be upgraded.
In 2020, HCM City approved a VND400 trillion (USD17.3 billion) project to improve access to public transportation and limit the use of personal vehicles over the next decade.
The focus will be on developing the bus network, including enhancing inter-provincial connectivity.
Under the project, public transportation would meet 15 percent of local travel demand by 2025 and 25 percent by 2030.
