The construction of specialized roads for the first BRT (bus rapid transit) routes in Hanoi will be kicked off this July.

BRT buses in Guangzhou, China.

They are the Lang Ha-Giang Vo route, 17.4km, and Giai Phong, 10.9km. The first route will start from Giang Vo Street and end at Yen Nghia bus station in Ha Dong district. The second route will run from Van Dien town to Hoan Kiem Lake.

The two projects will be developed by the Hanoi Department of Transport, using loans from the World Bank (WB), aiming to solve traffic congestion in Hanoi.

Hanoi will also use the WB’s loans to build the belt road No. 2 of over 6km long, the Buoi roundabout, the extended Hoang Quoc Viet road, and Hoang Hoa Tham-Thuy Khue road.

The total capital for these projects is more than $452.42 million.

At a meeting on June 12, the WB’s representative said that the BRT projects were implemented slowly, with many changes in design and site clearance. After five years, only 15 percent of capital was disbursed.

Director of Hanoi Department of Transport, Mr. Nguyen Quoc Hung, confirmed that the road and stations for the BRT route of from Giang Vo to Khuat Duy Tien.

Hung explained that the project ran slowly because of the change of Hanoi’s border, the change of related urban railway project, difficulties in site clearance, etc.

Hanoi’s Chair Nguyen The Thao said that Hanoi was determined to carry out this project as fast as it could, aiming to finalize the construction of road by the end of December 2012 and to inaugurate the first BRT route in early 2013.

Bus rapid transit (BRT) is a term applied to a variety of public transportation systems using buses to provide faster, more efficient service than an ordinary bus line. Often this is achieved by making improvements to existing infrastructure, vehicles and scheduling. The goal of these systems is to approach the service quality of rail transit while still enjoying the cost savings and flexibility of bus transit.

In Vietnam, BRT is considered an optimal means of public transport as it facilitates 80-seat buses running on reserved or prioritized lanes to ensure an exact timetable. 

Source: VNN