Dien Bien Phu and Vo Thi Sau streets have been suggested as testings grounds for the bus lane, as both one-way roads are prone to traffic congestion during rush hour.
Tuoi Tre reports that the municipal Department of Transport is working on the plan, along with the traffic engineering faculty at the Ho Chi Minh City University of Transport.
Accordingly, there are three options for the layout of the bus lane. The first would feature a 3.25-meter-wide space on the right side of the road.
The second option, according to the news source, would place the lane in the middle of the road, with the same width.
Finally, the third possibility would feature a 6.5-meter-wide bus lane on the right side of the road, allowing two buses to travel next to one another.
A median strip would separate these dedicated lanes from the rest of the traffic lanes, and buses would be able to exclusively use these lanes from 6:30-8:30am and 4:30-6:30pm every weekday. At other times, the lanes would be open to all traffic.
Special-purpose vehicles such as police and military units, fire trucks and ambulances will also be able to use the lanes during rush hour.
Vo Kim Cuong, the former chief architect of Saigon, told Tuoi Tre that bus-only lanes are needed to improve service quality and convenience so that more commuters use public transit.
However, he added that the plan may not work as there is not enough space along the streets in question, meaning traffic jams would be even worse. Luong Hoai Nam, another expert, told the news source that extremely busy streets such as Dien Bien Phu and Vo Thi Sau are not suitable for this pilot project.
He explained that worsening traffic would lead drivers to use the reserved lanes, adding that the only real solution is a bus network with hundreds of routes and thousands of stops.
