Tourist bus - new service of Nha Trang tourism

Recently, the People's Committee of Khanh Hoa province agreed to allow West Pacific Investment and Travel Joint Stock Company to pilot a bus service (without subsidies) to serve tourists in Nha Trang City. This service will provide interesting experiences for tourists who love to explore the coastal city.

In line with tourism development policy

The model of non-subsidized buses connecting scenic spots and tourist destinations in the city to serve tourists has appeared in the world for a long time and started to develop in Vietnam. The type of single-decker bus with an open roof, the size of a large 16-seat car, has been deployed in Hanoi, Hue, and Da Lat and has been well received by tourists. This type is very suitable for tourist cities with limited traffic infrastructure. Therefore, West Pacific Investment and Travel Joint Stock Company hired a consulting unit to conduct a survey of the infrastructure and tourism activities to develop a project to pilot tourist buses in Nha Trang to create a new local tourism product. Recently, the Provincial People's Committee has agreed in principle to allow the company to pilot tourist bus operations for a period of 1 year.

The bus will take tourists to visit famous tourist attractions.

Accordingly, West Pacific Investment and Travel Joint Stock Company will organize 2 bus routes to serve tourists visiting historical sites and scenic spots in Nha Trang city center (daytime) and sightseeing the city at night. Of which, route 1 (Nha Trang City Tour) runs from 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. daily with the route: Tran Phu - Pham Van Dong - Ton That Tung - April 2 - Quang Trung - Yersin - October 23 - Thai Nguyen - Le Thanh Ton - Tran Phu (total distance 23km). On the way, the bus will have 11 stops to pick up/drop off passengers at the following locations: Institute of Oceanography, Thanh Nien Park, Phu Dong Park, Tram Huong Tower, Khanh Hoa Museum, Yersin Park, Chong Rock scenic spot, Ponagar Tower, Long Son Pagoda, Nha Trang Station, Cathedral, April 2 Square... Route 2 (Nha Trang Sightseeing Tour) is a bus route for passengers to see the city at night. This route only runs along the coastal road Tran Phu - Pham Van Dong with 4 pick-up/drop-off points (Thanh Nien Park, Phu Dong Park, April 2 Square, Hon Chong) for passengers to visit, see the sea, walk around or shop. The bus will run every 15 minutes; the first trip departs at 7:00 p.m. and the last trip ends at 10:45 p.m. every day.

Open-top buses that West Pacific Investment and Travel Joint Stock Company will use to transport tourists.

At the meeting between the provincial Department of Transport with the provincial Department of Tourism, Nha Trang City People's Committee, Traffic Police Department, Traffic Police - Order Team of Nha Trang City Police, West Pacific Investment and Travel Joint Stock Company on this issue, Mr. Nguyen Van Dan - Director of the Department of Transport said that the operating routes of the bus routes take passengers through most of the famous tourist destinations in Nha Trang City. The departure points and stops on the route mainly take advantage of existing bus stops, so there is no need for additional investment. The vehicles put into use are also small buses, easy to operate compared to the current situation of narrow roads, often congested in Nha Trang. Therefore, opening new bus routes to connect tourist attractions in Nha Trang is in line with the policy of developing diverse tourism products and products serving the development of the night-time economy, helping to complete the goals set by the province for socio-economic development. At the same time, it contributes to increasing the proportion of public transport, meeting the criteria for Nha Trang to become a centrally-governed city by 2030.

Route and stops of Nha Trang City Tour bus route.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Le Thanh - Director of the Department of Tourism also strongly supports the opening of new bus routes to connect tourist attractions in Nha Trang City. This will help tourists more conveniently explore the city's monuments and scenic spots, especially solo travelers. In addition to transporting passengers, open-top buses also facilitate visitors to see the city and feel the rhythm of life in the coastal city.

The Provincial People's Committee assigned the Department of Transport to preside over and coordinate with relevant units to survey, evaluate and announce the opening of routes, select transport units to operate the routes in accordance with regulations; preside over the synthesis of pilot results of bus routes and report, advise on related issues after the pilot period... At the same time, note that the means of transport must ensure the requirements for environmental technical organization according to regulations; investors must commit to converting means of transport according to the roadmap for implementing the province's Green Economy Project.

To be put into service from November

West Pacific Investment and Travel Joint Stock Company will start piloting bus routes from November 2024. Ticket prices for bus tours range from 75,000 to 250,000 VND (excluding entrance tickets to tourist attractions with fees), of which the 250,000 VND ticket will be used within 24 hours from the time of boarding the first bus stop and is not limited to the number of trips.

Night bus route and stops.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Hoang Nguyet - Deputy General Director in charge of business of West Pacific Investment and Travel Joint Stock Company said that the company will cooperate with travel and tourism companies to sell tickets. In addition, customers can buy tickets online or buy tickets directly when getting on the bus at the first stop. Currently, the company has trained human resources to serve the exploitation of tourist bus routes. The service staff on the bus will be trained in basic foreign languages, historical knowledge of Nha Trang tourist destinations to suit the standards of the tourist bus route, as well as specialized training in skills and expertise to guide passengers to ensure safety when using this type of vehicle.

The open-top bus is a special type of tourist vehicle designed according to European standards, and can carry 20 people (16 seats and 4 standing). The vehicle has partitions for closed and open compartments, a mobile roof system, an amplifier system, and a microphone used for announcements. The vehicle has a camera in the driver's compartment, an electric door system, a charging system for each row of seats, etc.

Xuan Thanh – Van Ky

Translated by T.T