Hanoi to provide free wi-fi at bus stops

The city People’s Committee said on Wednesday that 235 new stops would be built and 365 existing ones would be renovated in Ba Dinh, Hai Ba Trung, Long Bien, Thanh Xuan, Hoan Kiem, Tay Ho, Bac Tu Liem, Nam Tu Liem, Cau Giay, Hoang Mai, Dong Da, and Ha Dong Districts.

25 touchscreens for wi-fi access would also be put up on certain streets and at some stops.

The work would be funded through public-private partnership, with private investors building and maintaining the stops for the first 20 years, it added.

Public transport is only able to meet 15.7 percent of people’s travel needs in Hanoi. Transport authorities had said at a public meeting in July that the rate is likely to rise to 17.3 percent by the end of this year.

The city's 2,000 buses carry around 1.2 million passengers daily.

Hanoi authorities have considered building exclusive lanes for public buses as getting stuck in traffic has been a major factor discouraging people from using them.