Buzz
Starting August 21, you can cruise along Saigon's first river bus for just 15,000 VND per ride.
Hot Off the Press: Saigon's Inaugural River Bus Route Launches Today
On the morning of August 21, Saigon's first river bus route was officially inaugurated, undergoing a trial run to assess initial outcomes.
The 10.8km river bus route 1 travels from Bach Dang Pier along the Saigon River, through Thanh Da Canal, and back to the Saigon River, reaching Linh Dong Ward (District Thu Duc) at the cross-river passenger stop near Binh Quoi.
This route features 12 scattered stops for embarkation and disembarkation in districts 1, 2, Binh Thanh, and Thu Duc. The entire route is served by 5 buses, each with 80 seats, including 4 regular buses and 1 reserve bus.
When put into operation, including passenger pick-up and drop-off, the river bus completes its route in just 30 minutes, two-thirds faster than the road bus on the same route.
In addition to route number 1, river bus route number 2 (Bach Dang - Pottery Kiln) is 10.3km long, starting from Bach Dang Pier along the Saigon River through Ben Nghe Creek, Tau Hu Canal to the Pottery Kiln area (Ward 7, District 6), and will be implemented in the near future.
This is Saigon's first bus route with a fare of 15,000 VND per trip, designed with a streamlined front, 18 meters long with yellow as the main color. Inside the bus is decorated with a system of lights, horns, air conditioning, fire alarms, and more.
The entire route has five buses (each with 80 seats), including four daily operational buses and one reserve bus.
Before entering operational service, the river bus route underwent technical operation (trial run) for one month, from June 30 to July 30. With a route length of nearly 11 km passing through 12 stops (9 official stops and 3 additional stops), the travel time from the starting point to the end takes about 30 minutes. The time for the boat to approach each stop for passenger pick-up and drop-off is three minutes.
Along the route, there are 9 pier stops, including: Central Bach Dang Pier (District 1); Pier 1-2 (Saigon Pearl), Pier 1-3 (Binh An), Pier 1-4 (Thao Dien), Pier 1-5 (Tam Vu), Pier 1-6 (Thanh Da), Pier 1-7 (Binh Trieu), Pier 1-8 (Hiep Binh Chanh), Pier 1-9 (Linh Dong).
Theo Thảo Nguyên (compiled by)
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Reference: Travel guide from Mytour
MytourAugust 21, 2017
