VietNamNet Bridge – The Ha Noi Transport Department started transferring 313 buses from the city's most crowded station, My Dinh, to other stations on Tuesday to reduce overloading.

A view of My Dinh Station in the west of Ha Noi. Over 300 buses from this crowded station on Tuesday were transferred to other stations to reduce overloading as a part of the city's plan to re-organise coach stations.

The move is part of the city's plan to re-organise coach stations.

An additional 200 buses will be transferred from July 20. All run on routes of less than 200 kilometres, departing from Ha Noi to the northern provinces of Nam Dinh, Thai Binh and Hoa Binh.

Passengers to those provinces now depart from Gia Lam Station in the outlying district of Gia Lam, Yen Nghia Station in Ha Dong District or Nuoc Ngam Station in the south of the city.

Department director Nguyen Quoc Hung said the transfer was expected to help reduce overloading at the station and traffic congestion in inner city areas and on ring roads.

He added that the area surrounding the station has been experiencing increased traffic congestion because buses illegally stop to pick up passengers.

At present, there are 113 daily bus trips linking Ha Noi-Thai Binh, 110 trips linking Ha Noi-Nam Dinh, 52 for Ha Noi-Thanh Hoa and 44 trips for Ha Noi- Ninh Binh.

However, My Dinh Station director Nguyen Manh Tien said that transferring buses from the station to others would cause inconvenience to some passengers.

There were about 40 universities, colleges and many new urban areas in the neighbourhood and the bus station met the needs of many students and rural people catching buses to and from the city. Transferring would cost them more money and time, he said.

Transportation companies were also worried as they were operating effectively, he said.

Deputy director of the Thai Binh Province Transport Department Vu Quang suggested transport companies be given more time to prepare and to inform passengers.

To reduce the inconveniences, the transport department will add five rapid transit connecting stations from July, department director Hung said, adding that passengers could take the buses every 10-15 minutes from 5.30am to 8pm.

In a related move, the city has also begun to crackdown on overcharging scams by taxi and cyclo drivers that have upset tourists.

Source: VNS