Locally-produced CNG (compressed natural gas) busses may be an increasingly common sight over the next 12 months.
On April 18, Duong Hong Thanh, deputy director of the City Department of Transport, announced his recommendation to add another 300 Samco-built CNG busses within a year.
There are currently 30 CNG busses operating in Saigon, all of which were assembled abroad. With a larger order this time around, Samco has agreed to assemble the busses in Vietnam.
While CNG engines produce fewer emissions, there is a fierce global debate about the environmental impact of extracting CNG. But for those of us who have been enveloped by clouds of exhaust stuck behind older busses, we'll take anything that makes driving in Saigon slightly less suffocating.
As part of the plan, the Saigon will work with Vietnam Oil and Gas to install more CNG stations across the city.
[SGGP]
