Saigon Transportation Mechanical Corporation (Samco) on April 18 introduced the first domestically assembled bus using Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) in Ho Chi Minh City.
Duong Hong Thanh, deputy director of the City Department of Transport, said that CNG buses will help save 20-25 percent of fuel costs compared to buses run on petrol.
Exhaust fumes from CNG buses do not contain toxics that pollute the environment.
The Transport Department has asked Samco to produce another 300 such CNG buses by April next year to serve the public transport system in HCMC.
The department proposes to ask the City to exempt import tariff on chassis parts and permit bus companies to retain part profits from the running of these busses.
HCMC will work with Vietnam Oil and Gas Group to install more CNG supply stations in the City.
The City has about 30 CNG buses running at present, but these are imported.
