Part three of what started as a trilogy of BRTs but is now five (that is a pentalogy) is the reasonably functioning single line system in Hanoi, Vietnam. Key features:
- Opened January 2017 so approaching a decade old;
- Dedicated off-side lanes for most of the route: they are missing for the first 500 metres or so at the southern Hanoi city centre terminus;
- Island stations and high platforms;
- Dedicated fleet of buses with high offside doors to serve the platforms;
- Ticket barriers in operation, requires a smart card pass or purchase a ticket (actually a reusable plastic token) at a staffed ticket office at each stop;
- Maintains a very high frequency throughout the day but is noticeably busier in the morning and evening peaks;
- Bus destination displays seem to vary wildly: they are supported in windscreen printed displays.
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| Ticket barriers for exit |
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| Ticket barriers for entry |
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| Staffed ticket office |
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| Door from platform to bus |
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| Hanoi BRT us showing the offside mid-body doors. |
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| The nearside layover space means buses have to reverse on to the departure stop. There is no facility to 'drive around' the terminus bus station as the opposite side of the island is used by conventional buses travelling in the same direction. |
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| BRT stops showing the platform boarding aligned to the doors on the buses. Rear two platforms are for alighting, nearest two for boarding. |
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| Entry to a BRT stop. |
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| A BRT stop showing the ticket office on the right and entry gates ahead. |
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| What seems to be comprehensive information about the route provided in Vietnamese. There didn't seem any obvious reason why tourists would use the BRT. |
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| Semi-signalled junction at the south end of the segregated section: the bus in the foreground will turn left to start the sone way loop to the terminus whilst the bus in the distance is starting its journey northbound and will cross the junction. There are no left/right turn signals at this junction! |
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| Hanoi BRT |
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| Hanoi BRT with a regular Hyundai city bus (blue) passing in the regular traffic lanes. |
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| Motorbikes rule in SE Asia and are far more common than private cars. The BRT stop is on the left in the picture and the BRT lane space is being used by motorbikes at the traffic signals. |
My conclusions....
- The system works as designed and is popular with commuters;
- Very lightly used at other times;
- Limited overall benefit to Hanoi as non-BRT buses (most of them) cannot use the infrastructure;
- An internet search suggests that a network of seven or eight BRT routes was to be constructed in Hanoi, but this has not happened - yet!
What else in Hanoi?
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| Metro Line 1 is built and operating to the west of the city. |
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| At the time of visiting, Metro line 2 was half built with the northern half operational..... |
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| ....and the southern half being built 'cut & cover' |
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| This aspirational network map was seen on display at one station. |
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| Large numbers of these diesel Hyundai buses with a manual gearbox are in operation. |
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| As well as quite a number of these domestically built Vinfast electric buses. |
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| The humble motorbike serves many functions! |
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| And traffic junctions are dominated by 'powered two wheelers' and not cars. |
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| And Train Street, as the trains taking 1.5 days to reach Ho Chi Minh leave Hanoi's main station. |