According to Tran Quang Lam, deputy director of the municipal Department of Transport, the 11-km route runs along Saigon River and Thanh Da Canal and ends at Binh Quoi River in Thu Duc District with seven passenger stations.
The model of the river bus service in HCM City
Work on the route would be completed at the end of this month and will be officially put into operation in early next month. The new route will take just 30 minutes, only 70% of the time a bus would take to travel a similar 11km distance.
Lam however said that the second river bus route is expected to become operational in early 2018, behind the schedule due to the on-going construction of a drain project in District 1.
The second route runs from Bach Dang Wharf along the Saigon River, crossing Ben Nghe and Tau Hu canals, through districts 1, 4, 5, 6 and 8.
The routes are expected to ease traffic jams for the city and also boot the municipal tourism development. The city needs to build bus-road routes, bus-road stations and parking lots to serve passengers at each river-bus stop.
The two routes which will operate 10 boats with a capacity of at least 60 passengers each will be equipped modern, safe and comfortable devices. The fare will be VND15,000 (US cents) per ride.
