HCMC downtown electric bus service stops operation

By Gia Minh August 24, 2022 | 03:00 am PT

An electric bus of the D1 bus line runs on Ham Nghi Street of HCMC's District 1 in 2020. Photo by VnExpress/Gia Minh

After five years in service HCMC's 12-seat electric buses plying in the downtown area have called it a day due to lack of patronage.

The D1 route with three electric buses and a fare of VND12,000 (51 U.S. cents) operated between the 23/9 Park and Saigon Zoo and Botanical Garden mainly for tourists.

A spokesperson for the Mai Linh Corporation, which operated it, said there used to be 70 trips a day and the service had been popular, but not since Covid-19 broke out.

HCMC has more than 2,000 public buses running on 127 routes.

In March it began trialing electric buses between Vinhomes Grand Park in Thu Duc City and the Saigon Bus Station in District 1. Four other electric bus routes are set to be started soon.