Plan to develop and operate 6 bus routes by 2026

According to Deputy Director of the Department of Construction Dang Nam Son, it is expected that in 2026, the city will have a plan to bid to put into operation 6 bus routes, creating favorable conditions for people to travel when Quang Nam province and Da Nang city merge.

City subsidized buses. Photo: THANH LAN

Accordingly, the demand for travel is increasing and requires a wide inter-regional public transport network. Previously, Da Nang and localities in Quang Nam had many bus routes operating. However, due to the impact of Covid-19 and many other issues, these bus routes stopped operating; two routes have been reopened recently: Da Nang - Hoi An; Da Nang - Tam Ky.

According to Mr. Dang Nam Son, as of May 2024, Da Nang city has a total of 14 bus routes in operation, of which 5 subsidized routes operated by Phuong Trang Passenger Transport Joint Stock Company from July 2023 with 34 buses, operating from 5:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. daily, with a frequency of 15-30 minutes/trip; and 6 non-subsidized bus routes, newly opened from the beginning of 2024, including 51 buses, with a frequency of 15-30 minutes/trip, connecting areas in the city.

In particular, from April 2024, Da Nang will deploy 2 adjacent inter-provincial bus routes, connecting with Hoi An city and Tam Ky city ( Quang Nam province), along with a bus route adjacent to Hue city. Thus, there are 3 adjacent bus routes connecting Da Nang with neighboring localities, a total of 58 buses, operating frequency of 15-30 minutes/trip.

These routes contribute to expanding the scope of connections between Da Nang and other localities, increasing the capacity to serve passengers. The total number of vehicles operating on the bus network is currently 143 buses, operating an average of 13-14 hours per day, ensuring high coverage density, serving the travel needs of people in the city and inter-provincial areas. The bus network covers all main routes, from the inner city to the suburbs, contributing to reducing traffic congestion and developing sustainable public transport.

Implementing the project to research, evaluate and adjust the overall network of inner-city bus routes and inter-provincial buses between Da Nang city and Quang Nam province, with the plan to develop a new bus network, the city will continue to maintain 11 adjusted subsidized bus routes and plans to open 4 new bus routes in the period 2022-2025.

In the 2026-2030 period, the existing subsidized bus routes will continue to be maintained and 5 new bus routes will be opened. Currently, the operation of 5 subsidized routes operated by Phuong Trang Passenger Transport Joint Stock Company will be maintained and there is a plan to bid to put 6 bus routes into operation in 2026, including 5 subsidized bus routes.

According to Decision No. 876/QD-TTg of the Prime Minister approving the action program on green energy conversion, reducing carbon and methane emissions in the transport sector, with the goal that by 2025, 100% of buses will be replaced and newly invested in using electricity and green energy.

The Department of Construction is directing the Smart Traffic Operation Center to carry out legal procedures to install electric charging stations in the city and plans to open two new electric bus routes for trial operation in 2025, connecting the FPT urban area with the city center.

It is expected that in 2025, the Department will research and announce a list of new bus routes (adjusting and updating the list of routes for the period 2026-2030 and the following years). Due to the merger, the Department of Construction of Da Nang City is coordinating with the Department of Construction of Quang Nam Province to update information on the list of bus routes of the two localities to study and adjust the list of routes including Da Nang - Quang Nam routes and inter-provincial routes connecting Quang Ngai; the announcement of the list of bus routes will be made after the merger of Quang Nam Province and Da Nang City is completed.

A representative of Phuong Trang Passenger Transport Joint Stock Company shared that Da Nang should selectively restore the discontinued bus routes, especially the regional connecting routes to prepare for urban consolidation and development. However, it is necessary to conduct a thorough survey of the users as well as flexibly adjust the routes according to reality, while increasing connectivity with the inner-city bus system and improving services and frequency, especially having a subsidy mechanism or cooperating with the private sector to ensure sustainable operation.

It is known that after many years of focusing on investing in infrastructure construction to serve the operation of public passenger transport routes by bus, Da Nang currently has 765 stops, including 186 waiting rooms. Currently, the infrastructure is distributed with appropriate distances between stops, about 500-700m is a stop on the route, to serve the transfer of passengers, the stop infrastructure at the transfer points is installed near the intersections of the routes to help passengers conveniently transfer the fastest bus routes.

According to the Department of Construction, the total passenger output of the public passenger transport system by bus in 2024 was 1,832,006 passengers, an increase of 43.7% compared to 2023. Among the subsidized bus routes, route 16 has the highest output, transporting 386,225 passengers in 2023, followed by route 5 with an output of 201,396 passengers.

THANH LAN

Source: https://baodanang.vn/xa-hoi/202506/du-kien-phat-trien-van-hanh-6-tuyen-buyt-vao-nam-2026-4009907/