Following on the heels of a similar project in Hanoi, Saigon officials intend to pilot a trial open-top double-decker bus tour around Saigon’s downtown.
According to Tuoi Tre, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Transport recently announced its intention to trial an open-top double-decker bus route passing by Nha Rong Wharf on Nguyen Tat Thanh Street, the Ho Chi Minh Campaign Museum on Le Duan Street, the War Remnants Museum on Vo Van Tan Street, Ton Duc Thang Street, Pham Ngu Lao Street, Truong Dinh Street and Cong Xa Paris Street. The proposal came from the Vietnamtourism-Hanoi JSC, which would oversee the pilot program if approved.
Previously, the company had suggested that Nguyen Hue Pedestrian Street would be a destination on the bus tour. However, the Department of Transport wants a stop to be located at the Municipal Theater since Nguyen Hue would be too crowded for the buses to conveniently arrive and depart.
Additionally, the department also proposed that the operation time should be adjusted from 9am–6:30pm to 9am–4:30pm to avoid exacerbating traffic issues during rush hour, as reported by Nguoi Lao Dong.
Furthermore, the plan must also take the safety of passengers on the upper deck into account, as electrical and telecom wires along streets such as Nguyen Dinh Chieu, Tran Cao Van, Vo Van Tan, Ba Huyen Thanh Quan and Nam Ky Khoi Nghia have yet to be put underground.
To date, only seven Vietnamese localities have been allowed to pilot open-top double-decked bus tours: Hanoi, Saigon, Da Nang, Quang Nam Province, Thua Thien-Hue Province, Lam Dong Province and Kien Giang Province, as reported by Tuoi Tre.
Hanoi has had an open-top bus line for tourists since last May, but it has struggled to find popularity.
[Photo via Hopon-Hopoff.vn]
