HO CHI MINH CITY, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- Vietnam's Ho Chi Minh City plans to launch mini buses to transport passengers from small roads to bus stations, and offer free rides to bus passengers on national holidays, according to the municipal Transport Department on Tuesday.
Under a proposal by the department's Public Transport Management Center, 77.3 billion Vietnamese dong (nearly 3.4 million U.S. dollars) from the state budget will be spent on developing mini buses with 12-16 seats in the 2018-2020 period.
Ho Chi Minh City's public passenger transport system currently meets nearly 10 percent of travel demand, partly because many districts have small streets, roads and alleys, where buses cannot run, and residents there are far from bus stations, normally over 600 meters, the center said.
The department has proposed the municipal authorities to exempt charges for people go by bus to airports, stations, entertainment centers and places of interest on national holidays to encourage residents to use bus services, helping reduce traffic congestions.
