You heard it here first (unless you’ve been reading other news sources). Starting at the end of this month, open-top buses will begin taking tourists to all the main sightseeing spots in the capital.
In June last year, the buses underwent a trial period, but proceedings were halted while a final decision was made. Now, nearly a whole year later, they are back. According to Dan Tri, the Hanoi Department of Transport has approved the new route for a fleet of double-decker tourist buses.
The buses will visit 13 different popular locations, including the Opera House, Hoa Lo Prison, The Temple of Literature and Hoan Kiem Lake.
Each vehicle has been adapted to improve accessibility for the disabled and also features free Wi-Fi and a convertible roof for when monsoon rains hit during the summer months. The buses can seat up to 45 people and cost between VND7 and 9 billion each.
Open-top buses are popular in cities like London, New York and Singapore, but this is the first time they’ve been featured regularly in Vietnam.
The introduction of these new tourist vehicles fits in with Vietnam’s target of welcoming 17-20 million foreign visitors and serving 82 million domestic travelers per year by 2020.
[Photo via studentexchange.vn]
