With a goal of striving to become a centrally-controlled municipality by 2020, along with mobilizing all sources to build infrastructure, ensuring synchronous economic development, Binh Duong has attached special importance to fostering the local public traffic system, in which its bus system has received modern and environmentally friendly investment.
Planning for public traffic system development
The province now has a total of 20 bus routes. But, according to the assessment of the local functional agencies, the rate of people traveling by buses herein is still low, about over 2% of total population. The province has set a goal of becoming a centrally-controlled municipality by 2020, in which raising the quality of the local public traffic system is one of major elements to curb traffic accidents, improve urban traffic safety and promote socio-economic development.
Becamex Tokyu Co.Ltd.’s bus system has contributed to promoting the local public traffic system
Tran Thanh Liem, Vice-Chairman of provincial People’s Committee said that Binh Duong is one of localities in the Southern key economic zone, so it has absorbed a large number of immigrant laborers. The rate of immigrants herein now accounts for 50% of total local population, so the province has planned to promote the local public traffic system to meet residents’ demand for travelling. Accordingly, the province will mobilize all sources to develop the local bus system.
Under the province’s planning for public traffic system development to 2025 with a vision after 2015, the province’s public traffic system will meet 30%-40% of residents’ demand for travelling. Together with 20 existing bus routes, there will be additional 14 bus routes in 2020, 15 for 2021-2015 period and 12 after 2015.
“Initially, the province will put a Japanese standard bus system invested by Becamex Tokyu Bus Co.Ltd. into operation and step by step raise public awareness of using buses as means of transportation”, Mr.Liem said.
Express bus system perfected
Under the province’s planning for public traffic system development, Becamex Tokyu Bus Co.Ltd has gradually set up an express bus system with Japanese standards. In Dec.2014, the company put its bus route connecting TDM city with Binh Duong new city into operation. The company also continued opening additional new bus routes connecting traffic in the central areas of the new city and neighboring ones in early 2016. Thus, the company has so far had a total of 6 bus routes.
According to Furukawa Takashi, General Director of Becamex Tokyu Bus Co.Ltd., all buses of the company are powered by environmentally friendly Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) under Japanese standards. In addition to working punctually, they also provide passangers with free wifi service. The company will also continue researching and deliberating enterprises, residents’ ideas to set up its bus timetable and route in neighboring areas. This aims to increase the number of passengers traveling by the local bus system.
Under the province’s target on public passenger transportation system development till 2020, the birth of modern and environmentally friendly bus routes invested by the company is seen as a foundation for perfecting the local public traffic system.
Reported by Hoang Pham-Translated by K.T