The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Transportation, aims to use CNG to run 75% of its new buses, according to a 2018-2020 investment plan. If the plan runs smoothly, by the end of 2020, Saigon will have 1,009 buses running on Natural Gas.
Nguyen Van Thao, director of No.15 Transportation Cooperative, recognizes that the goal presents a challenge; he explains that while the investment cost for CNG-run buses is higher than diesel buses, government subsidy rate remains the same. Furthermore, the city only has four refueling stations for CNG, which brings a problem for buses that run on routes far from these stations.
Responding to these concerns, Tran Chi Trung, director of the HCMC Public Transport Management and Operation Center, said that the center has finalized the locations for 11 new CNG refueling stations as well as plans for moving and renovating four current CNG stations.
To help alleviate operational costs, the center has also proposed that the city's transportation department waive entrance fees for CNG buses commuting to and from refueling stations. It also suggested that the People's Committee order gas companies to set out 36-72 million cubic meters of CNG to be priced at the same level of prices applied to electric supply companies in the same area.
There are currently 428 CNG buses running in Saigon
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