Feature: Vietnam's newly-launched BRT system draws mixed reactions

"The Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system is not an almighty miracle as the BRT can only contribute effectively to public transport if people shift from using motorbikes and cars to BRT," a senior Vietnamese transportation expert told Xinhua.

The first-ever BRT in Vietnam's capital city of Hanoi came into operation on the last day of 2016. The BRT buses, using dedicated bus lanes, offer rail-like system services and thus provide a smooth public transportation service, which is expected to be unhampered by traffic congestion.

Hanoi's first BRT route runs over 14.77 km between Kim Ma and Yen Nghia, passing through one of the city's most populated corridors, namely one of the traffic jam hot spots.

Nguyen Thuy, director of Hanoi BRT Company, said passenger numbers for the rapid buses have increased since the system's operation.

During the first day of operation, the system served more than 8,300 people. One week later, the daily number rocketed to 12,000 and until the end of January passengers can enjoy free travel on the BRT. The BRT's regular one-way tickets will ordinarily cost passengers 7,000 Vietnamese Dong (around 30 U.S. cents), the same as a normal bus fare.

The new service's speed and convenience, however, has been hampered by cars and motorbikes using the new dedicated bus lanes during morning and evening rush hours and slowing the buses down.

Hence, in the past two weeks, the system has drawn both positive and negative reactions from local citizens, experts and officials. Some Hanoi citizens, who have become tired of traffic jams caused by a combination of too many narrow streets and too many vehicles, railed against the BRT during its first days of operation.

"The BRT is causing trouble for other vehicles. In the past, without the BRT, the traffic had been very busy. Now, with one less lane due to the BRT, the traffic has become even more congested," Duong Hiep Duc, 35, a motorbike taxi driver, told Xinhua.

Similarly, Nguyen Van An, 40, who works in the city, could not contain his anger regarding the new service. "Since the new bus service came into operation, I have to leave home 30 minutes earlier than before to avoid the traffic jams. However, on some days, I still arrive at work late. We queue endlessly on one half of the road while the BRT takes up the other half, which is unfair."

But other city dwellers has been more positive about the new means of transport.

"I can't wait until a BRT route links my home and office so that I can abandon my motorbike and travel by the BRT," Nguyen Thi Thu Ha, 29, told Xinhua.

But online, it would seem, the battle between BRT supporters and detractors will not come to an end anytime soon.

Netizen "Botngamchan" urged the public to keep calm and wait to see the BRT's merits in the days and months ahead.

"Traffic congestion will end when more people choose to travel by public transport. Now, only one BRT route is operational and so we cannot expect things to get better overnight. We should all unite in efforts towards seeing a day without motorbikes in the city center."

Local experts and officials, for their part, are maintaining an upbeat stance on the new system.

"I was quite surprised to hear that the BRT could not always run smoothly. However, when I came to the actual site, I realized that the way the BRT operated in Hanoi made it difficult to run as fast as was first anticipated," Dr. Phan Le Binh, a transport expert from Vietnam Japan University, told Xinhua in an exclusive interview.

"In order to run optimally, in addition to a fully dedicated right of way on the road, there should also be stations with off-board fare collection, station platforms level with the bus floor and multiple bus doors for entry, as well as bus priority at intersections. However, in Hanoi, all such features have not been implemented by the BRT system," said the expert.

Binh cited a transportation planning estimation, supported by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), saying that if strong actions aren't taken and investments not made in Hanoi's public transportation sector, the average traveling speed in the city will decrease from an average of 26 km per hour in 2005 to 9.4 km per hour by 2020, which is slower than riding a bicycle.

"The only way forward is to gradually increase the use of public transport and reduce personal transportation means," Binh stressed, adding, "Whether the BRT can become a superior means of public transport very much depends on the choices of each person."

For progress to be made, the expert proposed stricter administrative measures by local authorities that make it both more expensive and slower to use private vehicles, while simultaneously enhancing and improving public transport services.

"The current traffic situation in Hanoi is not yet at disaster levels and I hope that the BRT will be the first step for the city towards creating a strong public transport network," Binh said.

Reaffirming the city's push for public transport to curb congestion, Nguyen The Hung, vice chairman of Hanoi People's Committee, said the largest bus operator Transerco will develop the second BRT route to connect Kim Ma, a downtown neighborhood, with the suburban area of Hoa Lac.

Hung added that lessons will be learned from the operation of the first route, although provided no specifics.

According to the Hanoi Transport Department, by 2050, the city will launch seven more BRT routes to serve passengers in twine with the further development of urban railway systems. Endit