The above information is stated in the report of the People's Committee of Ho Chi Minh City to the Ministry of Construction for appraisal and approval of the project to adjust the general planning of Ho Chi Minh City to 2040, with a vision to 2060.
Accordingly, Ho Chi Minh City will abandon BRT routes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 planned under Decision No. 568/QD-TTg on approving the adjustment of the planning for transport development in Ho Chi Minh City until 2020 and vision after 2020.
Adding 3 other BRT routes, including: Tan Kien (Binh Chanh) - Phu Long bridge (District 12); Nhi Binh (Hoc Mon) - Vinh Loc (Binh Chanh); Can Gio - Phu My Hung (District 7).
The Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee said that if the forecasted demand on the routes exceeds the capacity of the BRT route, it will be replaced by a type with higher capacity (railway).
6 BRT routes have been approved by the Prime Minister in Ho Chi Minh City before:
- Route 1: runs along Vo Van Kiet - Mai Chi Tho avenue with a length of nearly 29km.
- Route 2: Follow Nguyen Van Linh Street from Mien Tay bus station to Phu My bridge, about 24km long.
- Route 3: Along Ring Road 2 from An Suong intersection to the new Western bus station, about 19km long.
- Route No. 4: Along Tan Son Nhat - Binh Loi road from Kha Van Can street to Chien Thang park, about 14 km long.
- Route No. 5: Along Thoai Ngoc Hau - Inner Ring Road - extending to Nguyen Van Linh Street from Bon Xa intersection to Nguyen Van Linh Street, nearly 9km long.
- Line 6: Along Quang Trung Street, in the direction of Monorail line 3, about 8.5km long.
Of the 6 BRT routes above, only tuyễn số 1 was approved for investment in 2013 with a total investment of nearly 156 million USD (using ODA capital from the World Bank - WB). The project implementation period is 5 years (from 2014 to 2019).
The project was then not implemented. At the end of 2020, Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee approved an adjustment of investment policy, the total capital was reduced to more than 130 million USD (more than 121 million USD from WB loan, the remaining counterpart capital was street). Project implementation time is until 2023.
However, in November 2021, the Department of Transport (HCMC Department of Transport) proposed to postpone the implementation of BRT route No. 1 until the connection works are synchronized, to ensure project efficiency.
Then in June 2023, the WB announced the suspension of the project BRT No. 1. In August 2023, the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee agreed to suspend the project at the request of the WB.
