The information was announced during a recent meeting of the municipal Department of Transport and consulting units, which was to study a transportation development plan involving e-vehicles in the southern hub.
The plan, part of the Nationally Determined Contributions project backed by the German government, aims to help Vietnam enhance capacity and legal framework facilitating transportation development in line with low-carbon solutions and greenhouse gas reduction.
Prof. Dr Le Anh Tuan of the Hanoi University of Science and Technology, who is also head of the consulting units, said Ho Chi Minh City’s land used for transportation stands at only 12.2 percent, and transport infrastructure development rate remains modest.
Meanwhile, the number of vehicles has been on the rise, causing severe environmental pollution.
In addition to switching to e-vehicles, the city is advised to opt for waterway and railway transport and bolster electrification.
Tuan underlined that electricity infrastructure has an important role to play in the implementation of the e-transportation development plan.
As Ho Chi Minh City is the first ever locality to roll out the plan, it must be a priority in the national electric distribution planning, he stressed.
Speaking to Thanh Nien (Young people) newspaper on the sidelines of the event, Deputy Director of the municipal Transport Department Bui Hoa An said that Ho Chi Minh City is set to launch a new electric bus route by the end of the first quarter, with an aim to mitigate environmental pollution and improve passengers’ experience.
The e-transportation development plan requires concerted efforts in infrastructure development, he said, adding that the Transport Department will continue to join hands with consulting units in building mechanisms and a master plan for the project.
