Specifically, Tri Nam Group (investor) plans to import 500 vehicles to Ho Chi Minh City in early November, of which 388 are for rental and the rest are for backup. The vehicle system is arranged at 43 locations on the sidewalks of some District 1 streets, near bus stops, bus shelters, parks, tourist attractions... to serve short-distance travel. Each station has an area of 10-15 m2, for 10-20 cars to park in two rows, minimum width for one car is 1 m.
Regarding the arrangement of these points, the above unit plans to deploy them within 1-2 weeks after the vehicles arrive, to prepare for a one-year pilot operation. Previously, the plan to operate the public bicycle system was scheduled to be deployed in August, but due to the impact of the Covid-19 epidemic, it was postponed.
The Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee approved the pilot of Mobike public bicycles in District 1 in April this year, after a proposal from the Department of Transport and working with relevant departments and agencies. During the one-year pilot, the Department of Transport will calculate and flexibly adjust the number of vehicles, the scope, summarize and evaluate the results.
Bicycles of the Mobike model were tested in District 1 in October 2020.
The bicycles used in the pilot are equipped with smart locks, with GPS positioning features, and can be locked or unlocked via 2G, 3G, 4G, and Bluetooth connections on mobile phones. Users install the Mobike app on their phones, then scan for nearby stations with bikes, then use the app to scan the code to unlock the bike, register for fares based on usage time, etc.
The initial car rental price is 5,000 VND/30 minutes and 10,000 VND/hour for each car. The operating company will then research and diversify the types of tickets. In the beginning, the first 15 minutes are free to attract people to use.
To avoid theft and loss, users need to provide and verify valid personal information when registering. Each bicycle is also tagged with an identification ID. Through the central software, operators can track the movement of the vehicle and the driver.
The opening of a public bicycle rental service in the center of Ho Chi Minh City has attracted the attention of many units. In 2018, a business tested the smart E-bike at Ho Chi Minh City National University (Thu Duc City) but stopped. According to the Department of Transport, the bicycle network helps connect people to bus stations more conveniently, instead of walking as at present.
