Ho Chi Minh City halts 4-wheel electric tourist car service from tomorrow

Saigon Public Transport Co., Ltd has announced it will suspend its four-wheeled electric vehicle service for tourists in Ho Chi Minh City beginning July 1, citing new legal regulations and incompatible traffic infrastructure.

The firm launched the pilot service in April 2024, deploying a fleet of 70 eight-seater electric cars across District 1, District 4, District 5, and District 6, operating daily from 6:00 am to midnight.

These vehicles bring tourists to major attractions such as Reunification Palace, Ben Thanh Market, and Nha Rong Wharf, with fares ranging from VND120,000 (US$4.6) to VND250,000 ($9.6) per 30-minute ride.

The model was aimed at promoting green transportation, reducing emissions, and integrating digital technology into the urban environment.

After more than a year in operation, the service completed nearly 100,000 trips and served close to half a million customers, without any recorded collisions or traffic accidents.

However, under Government Decree 165/2024, effective February 15, 2025, motorized four-wheeled passenger vehicles are only permitted to operate on roads with official speed-limit signs indicating a maximum of 30 kph for all types of vehicles.

Meanwhile, Ho Chi Minh City has few roads with speed limits below 40 kph, let alone 30 kph, except for several locations such as branch A of the Cat Lai overpass, the Saigon River tunnel, or active construction zones.

The city's former Department of Transport (now the Department of Construction) stated that enforcing these regulations would pose significant challenges for four-wheeled electric vehicle operations.

If 30 kph speed limit signs were introduced to accommodate four-wheeled electric vehicles, this could disrupt the flow of other motorized vehicles such as buses and trucks, which dominate inner-city routes, the department said.

Vinh Tho - Phuong Nhi / Tuoi Tre News

(2025/06/30-17:35)