Page 123 - Proceeding of Atrans Young Researcher's Forum 2019_Neat

“Transportation for A Better Life:
Smart Mobility for Now and Then”

23 August 2019, Bangkok, Thailand

Assessing the first BRT corridor in Hanoi by the Bus Rapid Transit Standard
Topic number: 02 Paper Identification number: AYRF2019-017
Huy Nghia NGUYEN , Sy Sua TU , Minh Hieu NGUYEN 3
1
2

1 Faculty of Transport and Economics
University of Transport and Communications (Vietnam)
E-mail: nhn1601@gmail.com

2 Faculty of Transport and Economics
University of Transport and Communications (Vietnam)
E-mail: tusysua@gmail.com

3 Université Paris-Est, IFSTTAR/AME/DEST (France)
Faculty of Transport and Economics, University of Transport and Communications (Vietnam)
E-mail: minh-hieu.nguyen@ifsttar.fr or hieunm@utc.edu.vn

Abstract
Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) is one of the most effective solutions to meet an enormous growth of travel
demand in urban areas of developing countries where urban rail systems are on the plan or under construction
but not in reality yet. On the basis of collection and synthesis of successful and outstanding experience over
the world (e.g. in Bogota (Colombia), Guangzhou (China), Ahmedabad (India)), the Bus Rapid Transit
Standard (BRTS) was introduced to provide guidelines to the following creation of BRT. It is a measurement
to clarify what are strengths and shortcomings of each case, which contributes to propose approaches to deal
with disadvantages and enhance operation. Hanoi inaugurated the first BRT corridor at the beginning of 2017;
however, it has performed worse than expectations. In this paper, it is assessed by the BRTS to show (1)
which level it reached compared with international BRT systems, (2) its main limitations and (3) potential
remedies for its poor performance. The findings emphasize that the corridor in Hanoi meets the basic level.
Its major issues are low (design) capacity, low frequency, limited speed and lack of reliability and
convenience. To address them, implementing technical packages to give prioritized signals at intersections
and provide multimodal real-time information together with reducing interval at peak hours would be the
most important and feasible solutions.
Keywords: BRT, developing countries, Hanoi, Bus Rapid Transit Standard, corridor

1. Introduction collaboration with other Non-Governmental
Whilst cities and metropolitan areas of Organizations (NGOs) composed and published the
developed countries satisfy successfully travel Bus Rapid Transit Standard (BRTS) to provide a
demand of citizens by deploying metro systems measurement tool to BRT systems.
together with other friendly environmentally modes Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam witnesses a
like monorail and tramway, those in developing boom in travel demand. Dwellers mainly use
countries have been dependent heavily on private motorcycles whilst the over 100-route subsidized
vehicles, paratransit or/an conventional bus systems bus network accounts for under 10% of mode share
to meet inhabitants’ mobility [1]. An innovative [5]. The Kim Ma – Yen Nghia BRT corridor, the first
hybrid of urban rail and bus that is Bus Rapid Transit member of the mass rapid transit family, came into
(BRT) has made a revolution in public transport official operation at the beginning of 2017; yet, it has
development in the Global South [2]–[4]. Typical not been a good advertisement for efforts on
examples of successfulness are TransMilenio in reforming the current limited public transport system
Bogota (Colombia), Zhongshan in Guangzhou [6].
(China) and Janmarg in Ahmedabad (India). Based In this paper, the Hanoi BRT is analyzed by
on the various experience in consulting and the BRTS to show (1) which level it reaches
designing BRT worldwide, Institute for compared with international BRT systems, (2) its
Transportation & Development Policy (ITDP) in main limitations and (3) potential remedies for its

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