Two students, Vu Hoang Viet and Vu Thi Phuong Trang, from the HCM City Architecture University want bikes to be used regularly for tourism purposes on some streets and are trying to turn the idea into reality with their Bike-Sharing project.
The Bui Vien Walking Street in Pham Ngu Lao Ward, District 1 of HCM City, with a diverse range of cuisines from many countries, attracts a high number of foreign visitors. Viet, a member of the team, said that better public transport could increase the attractiveness of Bui Vien.
At present, the local public transport system remains unattractive with BRT (bus rapid transit), electric vehicles and railways in a state of underdevelopment.
The municipal authorities have proposed to gradually stop the circulation of motorbikes in inner districts by 2030.
The plan aims to control private vehicles, reduce emissions and solve existing transport problems, including traffic congestion and a shortage of parking lots.
In such a context, bike-sharing is a suitable model for Bui Vien street, which would provide a foundation for large-scale application later.
The students interviewed locals, expats and travelers. Most of them said they wanted a convenient and healthy means of transport like bikes, which they use regularly in their home country when they need to travel short distances.
Why Bui Vien street? The reason is the area gathers many foreigners who visit and stay at hotels. If a bike ordering station is set up there, they will find it easier to access a means of transport which is very familiar to them.
Bui Vien is also located in the centre of the city near famous excursion points for tourists.
Under a project developed by Viet and Trang, the walking street of Bui Vien will become a major transit station of the Bike-Sharing network. In the immediate time, they will set up bike-drive transport routes to some destinations such as Nguyen Hue walking street, HCM City Post Office and Notre Dame Cathedral.
The project designers are also thinking of creating mobile apps which would manage the use of bikes and help people have a better experience when traveling on the routes.
Once the project kicks off, foreigners will be able to easily travel to their targeted points with bikes.
According to a report on Vietnamnet
