Ho Chi Minh City’s first-ever river bus will be piloted in the hope of relieving pressure on the city’s crowded streets.

The water bus route No.1, stretching 10.8 kilometers from Bach Dang Port in District 1 to Linh Dong Ward in Thu Duc District, was opened to media and invited guests on Monday morning as part of a one-month pilot program.

Tickets will start being sold to the public in October.

The journey includes 12 stops dotted across District 1, District 2, Binh Thanh District, and Thu Duc District.

Five boats, each with an 80-seat capacity, have been produced for the maiden river bus route; four regular transporters and one reserve.

The water bus will take 30 minutes to complete its journey, about two-thirds of the time it takes over land.

The fare is expected to be VND15,000 (US$0.66) per passenger.

A second river bus route, a 10.3 kilometer connection between Bach Dang Port and Lo Gom Terminal in District 6, is anticipated to be piloted in early 2018.

The total capital investment of both routes is estimated at VND124.5 billion ($5.4 million).

Speaking at the ceremony on Monday morning, Nguyen Kim Toan, director of Thuong Nhat Company, developer of the river bus project, ensured assembled reporters that the operation of the buses met all safety requirements.

The project, Toan added, also suited the urban aesthetics and met regulations on environmental protection.

According to Bui Xuan Cuong, director of the municipal Department of Transport, Ho Chi Minh City has always had the potential for waterway transport thanks to its river and canal systems that snake a total of 1,000 kilometers around the city.

The new form of public transportation is hoped to meet the increasing demand of local residents and help alleviate traffic congestion on the city’s streets, Cuong continued.

Current public transport options including buses and taxis could only meet 10 percent of residents' transport demands, the official claimed.

The river bus travels along the Saigon River on August 21, 2017.

The names of each stop are listed inside the river bus.

Each river bus of route No.1 has a total of 80 seats.

The new river bus route is named Saigon Waterbus.

Captain Trinh Cong Son steers the water bus during its pilot phase on August 21, 2017.

Ho Chi Minh City officials, media representatives and local residents are among the first passengers of the river bus.

A water bus docks at a stop during its journey.

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