The Urban Civil Construction Investment Company (UCCI) along with relevant departments will construct a ‘Bus Rapid Transit’ (BRT) system on Vo Van Kiet Road in Ho Chi Minh City, to be sponsored by the World Bank, said deputy director of UCCI.

The new BRT system from Western Bus Station in District 6 to Thu Thiem in District 2 will traverse the 21km route through Districts 1,2,5,6, Binh Tan and Binh Chanh.

The cost of building one kilometre of road in the BRT system will be about US$1-2 million. The BRT route is the most efficient way to improve the traffic situation in the city.

World Bank will finance US$300 million to help the city develop the system, of which the first stage is expected to be complete by 2013.

Vo Van Kiet Road is an important link road stretching across 21.89 kilometres through eight of the city districts.

Formerly, a bus service from Ben Thanh Bus Station in District 1 to the Western Bus Station in District 6 had been launched by the Department of Traffic and Saigon Passenger Transport company in August 2011.

Bus number 39 runs through the September 23rd Park, Le Lai Street, Ben Thanh Bus Station, Pho Duc Chinh Street, Vo Van Kiet Road, Ho Hoc Lam Street, Kinh Duong Vuong Street and finally terminates at the Western Bus Station in District 6. It makes 140 trips per day from 5am to 8pm for just VND4,000 per bus ticket.

Source: SGGP