Five subsidised intra-city bus routes at the second phase have recently been put into operation in Da Nang, aiming to improve the public passenger transport network in order to meet the travel needs of local people.

Passengers on a subsidised intra-city bus

Mr. Ho Nguyen Quoc Cuong, the Acting Director of the Da Nang Centre for Operation of Traffic Signals and Public Transport (DATRAMAC), said that aside from 6 existing intra-city bus routes, the city has just put 5 more subsidised bus routes into operation, increasing the total of bus routes in the city to 11 with 2 different operating units.

“Hopefully, the subsidised bus system in the city will solve the current difficulties and operate stably, and attract more bus passengers, thereby contributing to developing Da Nang into a comfortable, safe and civilised city" Mr. Cuong said.

The actual survey shows that the quality of subsidised public transport services has been significantly improved, thereby attracting more passengers.

Ms. Ho Thi Ngoc Anh, a resident of Hoa Tien Commune, Hoa Vang District, said that "I often take bus route No. 4 to my working place on Duy Tan Street. I find it quite convenient and economical to choose the bus as a means of transportation".

In fact, the number of people using this form of transport is still modest, so some bus routes are almost empty. This has affected the revenue, affecting the payment of salaries and insurance of enterprises. This is also a common difficulty of many subsidised bus routes today.

Faced with the situation, the municipal Department of Transport has coordinated with other departments, agencies and district-level authorities to support and create the best conditions for the operating units to operate bus routes effectively in the city and encourage locals and tourists to use buses to replace personal vehicles.

Currently, the municipal Department of Transport is continuing to coordinate with relevant agencies to implement a number of solutions for selecting qualified contractors to put bus routes into operation; and at the same time to review and adjust bus routes in the direction of approaching schools, hospitals, and commercial and service centers.

Reporting by THANH LAN - Translating by M.DUNG