Ha Noi to go green with public transport projects
VGP - Ha Noi has taken drastic measures to make the public transport system greener and resolve growing environmental pollution and road congestion due to increased use of private vehicles.
The Nhon-Ha Noi Station Metro Line, the second to begin operation in Ha Noi opens for commercial operation on August 9, 2024
Although the free trial period is already over, the Nhon-Ha Noi Station Metro Line or Line 3 is still chosen by many as their daily means of transport.
Ha Noi Metro, the line operator, shared that during the first 15 days of free service, Line 3 served nearly 744,000 passengers, more than double the figure for Line 2A (Cat Linh-Ha Dong Line) during the same period.
More than one week into official commercial service, Line 3 witnessed tens of thousands of commuters purchase monthly passes. It is expected that when the new school year begins, more and more students will begin to rely on the newly inaugurated metro line instead of private vehicles.
It is a result beyond expectations for Ha Noi's second metro line when it is put into commercial service. In the meantime, the Cat Linh-Ha Dong Line serves nearly 10 million passengers each year and makes an important contribution to reducing private vehicle use and traffic congestion in Hanoi.
In addition to building new metro lines, Ha Noi is rolling out a string of measures towards the goal of making its public transport system more environmentally friendly.
On January 1, 2024, the E10 electric bus route connecting Ocean Park Urban Area to Noi Bai Airport was put into operation, bringing the total number of green energy bus routes to 10, including the bus routes from E01 to E10.
The capital city currently has 128 subsidized bus routes, with over 1,900 vehicles, of which 282 vehicles (14 percent) are powered by battery and compressed natural gas (CNG). To date, the fleet of electric buses has helped reduce carbon emissions by 36,000 tons.
There is now a big difference in service and vehicle quality between electric buses and ordinary buses. The operation of electric buses is smooth and does not create loud noises, providing a very good experience for passengers.
The use of clean energy is an inevitable trend in transportation in Vietnam and the world. The adoption of green technology in public transportation is emerging as a key measure to curb fossil fuel consumption and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Vingroup subsidiary Green and Smart Mobility (GSM) JSC launches electric taxi services in Ha Noi on April 14, 2023
Ha Noi also licensed thousands of electric taxi cabs and opened 79 public bike stations with about 1,000 standard and electric bikes across the capital city. Public bike stations are located near bus stops, metro stations, parks, and tourist attractions to provide the greatest convenience.
Developing public transport system
In early July 2024, the Ha Noi People's Council underlined the need to formulate and implement a scheme to develop a public transport system using electricity and clean energy. The scheme stems from the agreement on the role of urban railway as the backbone of the public transport system, an important driver for the city's rapid and sustainable socio-economic development strategy in the coming time.
During the 2024-2030 period, Ha Noi aims to finalize 96.8 kilometers of metro across Lines 2, 3 and 5, equivalent to 24 percent of the metro system's length under the capital city's transport plan.
Ha Noi will also conduct preparation work for the construction of another 301 kilometers, including Line 1, Line 2A extension, Line 4, Line 6, Line 7, Line 8, and those linking Ha Noi's satellite cities.
Ha Noi will complete the abovementioned 301 kilometers of metro during the 2031-2035 period as well as a further 200 kilometers of metro during the 2036-2045 period under a revised plan for the capital city.
Along with these long-term goals, the city is working to make its public buses greener. Director of the Ha Noi Department of Transport Nguyen Phi Thuong shared that the department is finalizing the scheme on developing a public bus system using electricity and green energy.
He said: "We set a target that 100 percent of new buses will use electricity or green energy starting from 2025, and 100 percent of new taxi cabs will use electricity or green energy starting from 2030."
The transport department official added that electric buses will be prioritized for inner city areas, while CNG-powered buses will be used for outlying areas. A clear roadmap will be formulated for bus operators to prepare for the transition to clean energy.
According to Ha Noi Vice Chairman Nguyen Manh Quyen, the government requested that Ha Noi switch to buses using green energy (electricity or CNG) by 2050.
However, the capital city is looking to achieve this goal by 2035, which is 15 years ahead of schedule.
He shared that the Ha Noi Transport Department has worked with 11 bus operators and all of them expressed support and determination to implement this plan./.
