The Government of Ho Chi Minh City has announced plans to convert all intra-provincial and inter-provincial buses to electric vehicles by January 1, 2029, as part of its programme to transition the city’s public transport network to electric and environmentally friendly energy. The roadmap, released by the Ho Chi Minh City Public Transport Management Center, aims to accelerate fleet electrification while supporting the city’s broader sustainable transport objectives.
The city’s bus network currently comprises 180 routes, including 158 intra-provincial and 22 inter-provincial services, operated by a fleet of 2,432 buses. Of these, 1,649 buses (67.8%) already use electric or environmentally friendly fuels, including 1,423 battery-electric buses and 226 compressed natural gas (CNG) buses. Under the implementation plan, all inter-provincial bus services will transition to electric or environmentally friendly vehicles from January 1, 2027, followed by the gradual replacement of the remaining CNG buses with electric buses between 2027 and 2028.
Alongside fleet electrification, the Public Transport Management Center will continue reviewing and optimising the city’s bus network, including studying new routes linking Binh Duong Province, the former Ba Ria–Vung Tau Province, and Long Thanh International Airport, as well as introducing night bus services. The transition coincides with Ho Chi Minh City’s initiative to encourage public transport use by providing free travel on 134 intra-provincial bus routes between July 1 and December 31, 2026, with electronic identity verification to be introduced from October 1, 2026.