>> Traffic strategy focuses on public transport

Ho Chi Minh City’s Department of Transport is set to launch a campaign to encourage people to use buses to save energy and protect the environment.

It will call on the public to travel by bus at least one day a week, Le Trung Tinh, head of its Transport Management and Industry Division, said.

If approved by the city government, the campaign’s first stage will start June 1 with an appeal to Party members, civil servants, workers, and students to travel by bus or engineless vehicles at least one day a week.

From September 1 the campaign will be widened to include all residents, the department said.

Saving 500,000 liters daily

If one million passengers use buses daily, the city will save 500,000 liters of petrol a day, traffic congestion will ease, and there will be less environmental pollution, Tinh said.

With A92 petrol now costing VND21,300 per liter, the amount saved will be nearly US$510,000 per day.

The city has 4.5 million motorbikes and 500,000 cars. If a car can save a liter of petrol or diesel a day and a motorbike 250 ml, the daily saving will be VND26 billion ($1.24 million), Tinh said.

He also assured that even if the number of bus users doubles, the demand can be comfortably met.

The campaign also encourages people to travel on foot or by bicycle to improve their health and save money, he added.

Transport handbook for households

Transportation costs currently account for more than 10 percent of household expenses, Tinh said.

To help people save money by choosing appropriate means of transport, the department plans to provide every household with a handbook providing analyses of and comparisons between various means of transport, he said.

For instance, people are recommended to go on foot if the distance is less than 2 km. For 2-5 km, a bicycle or electric bicycle will cost VND150,000 ($7.2) less than a motorbike. For distances of more than 5 km, public buses are the best in terms of cost.

The handbook also compares the cost of using buses with that of taxis and motorbikes. For a distance of 20 km, for instance, the cost of traveling by taxi and motorbike is 11.8 times and 1.8 times higher than by bus.

Currently the bus fare for a distance of less than 31 km is VND4,000. It falls to VND3,000 with season tickets.

For children less than 1.3 meters tall or with disabilities, buses are free.