These river buses are the "nozzle" to activate a chain of multi-layered economic benefits, turning the Saigon River into a bustling "front" for trade and tourism by strongly attracting socialized resources.
River bus - "key" to unlock the green economic front of Ho Chi Minh City
The success of the river bus system does not only stop at the view of sightseeing but also brings "close-to-the-back" economic values to many subjects. With a ticket price of 15,000 VND, people have a green way of transportation, reducing stress during peak hours and saving fuel costs compared to roads. From the water surface, a civilized Ho Chi Minh City appears with reflective bridges and symbolic works rising high, replacing the riverbank sections that were previously shabby warehouses or shabby areas.
River bus routes also play the role of a "link" connecting and activating a continuous economic value chain. At waterway wharves such as Bach Dang, Binh An or Hiep Binh Chanh, bustling passenger flow has opened up new livelihoods for people through local culinary services, cafes and OCOP products. In particular, this connection creates an "All-in-one" tourism product, turning the Saigon River into a brilliant "light show" at night, helping to extend stay time and increase tourist spending.
Assessing this potential, Dr. Pham Ha - Founder and CEO of LuxGroup said: "The Saigon River is a unique tourism resource that not many cities in the world possess. In the context of increasingly competitive destinations, waterway tourism needs to go beyond the role of simple sightseeing to become a journey to explore culture and history in depth.
Infrastructure breakthrough from open thinking and strong socialized resources
Ho Chi Minh City owns nearly 1,000km of inland waterways with about 110 rivers and canals intertwined connecting throughout wards and communes. However, the sightseeing demand of millions of people is still far exceeding the service capacity of existing routes. To make the Saigon River truly become a "green economic avenue", Ho Chi Minh City needs policy boosts to pave the way to mobilize maximum socialized resources from private enterprises.
Upgrading wharf infrastructure in a multi-functional direction - integrating transportation, commerce and services is an urgent requirement. The city is aiming to encourage private sector investment in environmentally friendly hydroelectric trains, flexible water taxis (Water Taxi) and high-speed train routes connecting the region to Can Gio, Cu Chi or Vung Tau.
Sharing about the development vision, Mr. Truong Minh Huy Vu - Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Development Research Institute said that a master plan along both banks of the Saigon River is being formed to restore landscape and historical values to the people. Bringing international passenger ships to the center will create unique cultural highlights and reduce pressure on road traffic.
When the bottlenecks in the socialization mechanism are untied, the Saigon River will certainly not only be a transport route, but also a symbol of pride in a dynamic, modern and most unique riverine city in the region.
Mr. Nguyen Huy Minh (Cat Lai ward) shared: "Since having the river bus, I completely quit my personal car to go to work to feel better. Only 15,000 VND and no longer have to jostle in traffic jams or inhale smoke and dust, and also get to see the city's scenery very "chill" from the water. I hope that in the future the train station will connect directly with the Metro or bus so that people's travel will be really convenient "from home to office". If there are more electric trains to be clean and smooth, then it is true that living green is complete".
Ms. Nguyen Thi Thanh (Nha Be commune) expressed her emotion at the "makeover" of the Saigon River, when the previously messy warehouses have given way to parks and civilized squares. She hopes that each wharf in the future will become a unique cultural space, where visitors can both enjoy art and find memories "on the wharf and on the boat" through local products and historical heritage stories.
