Currently, Ho Chi Minh City has 148 bus routes with 3,096 vehicles, transporting 937,600 passengers / day. However, the number of buses only meets 5.4% of the travel needs of the people. Buses cause accidents, pollute the environment, rude bus drivers and flight attendants with passengers ... are not good impressions of many people about the bus.
Fear of "evil spirit"
In the first 3 months of 2010, traffic accidents caused by buses were caused by traffic accidents in Ho Chi Minh City. Most recently, on March 7, 2010, the bus number 93, number plate 53N - 4845 circulated from the Thu Duc market to Binh Trieu on Kha Van Can stabbed into a motorbike as a man driving a motorbike. serious injuries. The driver of the bus, after an accident, continued to run calmly, when the locals chased, the driver turned around ... cursing.
According to Mr. Pham Dinh Duc, Director of Ho Chi Minh City Public Passenger Transport Management and Operation Center, the cause of traffic accidents of buses is 25% due to subjectivity (speeding over a car, not observing when operating, picking up passengers at the wrong stations ...), the remaining 75% by objective such as motorbikes do not control the speed of the bus, causing accidents with other vehicles then bumping into the bus ...
But with only 25% of traffic accidents caused by subjectivity ... also created a bad image of buses for the people of Ho Chi Minh City. "Hung hung highway" is the term that city people often refer to the bus in recent times.
Going on the street, the 2.5m wide buses keep coming in and out to pick up passengers, causing the traffic to be congested or disturbed. Even when the two buses were blocking each other blocking the road, many people shook their heads.
Meanwhile, many bus drivers said that the pressure of the time that the bus cooperatives set creates psychological inhibition for the drivers. In many cases, the bus driver must "race" in time to make a turn. "City roads are crowded, and traffic is always busy at peak hours, surrounded by buses is a forest of motorbikes and drivers that are good enough without bumping," a bus driver said.
What solution?
Regarding the solution to restrict traffic accidents from buses, many people said that it was necessary to strictly punish bus violations, continue educating drivers and buses, increase bus propaganda and disseminate the law. law for participants in traffic, complete investment in traffic infrastructure ... Lieutenant Colonel Do Tien Dung, Vice Head of Traffic Police Team No. 4, Ho Chi Minh City Police recommends: Priority for buses should only focus on assistance. price, should not prioritize illegal as today, leading to a number of car operators taking advantage of reckless running ...
Currently, bus cooperatives have improved their management methods, not offering trips and running hours to avoid pressure on drivers. The Department of Transport of Ho Chi Minh City has also applied information technology in management and administration of public transport activities such as GPS navigation devices and GIS management systems.
Since the beginning of 2010, the city has applied the use of smart bus cards on routes 01 and 27, and has previously piloted automatic bus ticket sales on Ben Thanh route - Tan Son Nhat airport. Master Le Trung Tinh, Head of Industrial Transport Management Department of Ho Chi Minh City Department of Transport, said that the city is aiming to separate driver jobs from financial burdens, helping dedicated drivers run cars to be safer.
One of the most expected solutions to help buses no longer be street warriors is to build a bus-only road (BRT). According to Mr. Raymond Pic, an expert of the Center for Urban Forecasting and Research in Ho Chi Minh City (Paddi), developing the BRT network is the most appropriate measure for the city's transport environment. "Setting aside a corridor for BRT is a way to make this type of vehicle flow faster and safer, along with increasing the ability to serve the whole community," Mr. Raymond Pic emphasized.
In fact, Ho Chi Minh City has had two BRT bus routes operating quite effectively for several years. However, many people think that the urban transport network in the city is still cramped. If one lane is reserved for BRT, the rest of the cars will be congested, causing congestion.
Mr. Duong Hong Thanh, Deputy Director of Ho Chi Minh City Department of Transport said: In 2010, when the project "Completing the bus network" by the Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology was approved by the City People's Committee, a series of bus routes was approved. Manipulate, cut or adjust to better serve passengers, not to wait for passengers or to walk too far to catch buses.
The Department is also deploying radio information to reduce traffic congestion in bus activities, relieve the occupancy of shelters, stop stations, open classes, and ethical driving competitions for the bus. bus drivers ... "Our goal is to make the bus more and more attractive, the passengers get on the bus comfortable, satisfied with the quality of service, the people in traffic also feel safer for buses, ”said Mr. Thanh.