The Ho Chi Minh City authorities have approved a proposal on piloting a bicycle-sharing system in District 1 for one year starting August 1 in a bid to promote public transport, reduce pollution, and create a new tourism product.
HCM City plans to offer public bicycle rental services in downtown areas this year. — VNA/VNS Photo Manh Linh
The scheme will be carried out by Tri Nam Group, which will invest in 388 bikes with solar-powered smart locks and set up 43 bicycle stations on sidewalks around the district. The GPS-equipped locks can be operated via 3G, and 4G connections, or Bluetooth.
The bicycles is expected to be rented out for 5,000 VND (0.22 USD) for 30 minutes and 10,000 VND per hour. Free renting for the first 15 minutes of use will be applied during the first stage of the project to encourage users.
Do Ba Dan, chairman of the board of directors at Tri Nam, said the company is accelerating procedures to import bicycles, and prepare needed facilities and human resources.
The firm will be responsible for funding and managing the system.
The scheme was initiated by Tri Nam and was submitted to the city's People's Committee in early 2021.