The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Transport said on Thursday it was cooperating with its counterpart in neighboring Binh Duong Province to offer a new express boat service connecting the two provinces via the Saigon River from July.

The departments have reviewed safety conditions of the wharves and vessels to be put into operation on the new route, which will link Bach Dang Wharf in District 1 with Thu Dau Mot City in Binh Duong and the Cu Chi Tunnels in the namesake outlying district of Ho Chi Minh City.

According to Tran Song Hai, director of DP Green Technology Company which operates the new service, the 78-kilometer route is meant to serve both tourists and commuters.

An aerial view of a section of the Saigon River passing through Cu Chi District in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam is seen in this undated file photo. Photo: Quang Dinh / Tuoi Tre

The service will run four trips daily, with boats departing from Bach Dang Wharf at 8:00 am and 9:00 am, and from Ben Duoc Wharf in Cu Chi at 2:00 pm and 3:00 pm.

It is expected to take the express boats 120 minutes to complete a one-way trip, around the same time it takes to travel between the two destinations by road.

The express service will also include stops at Binh Hoa Wharf in Binh Thanh District, Tiamo Wharf in Thu Dau Mot, and Ben Dinh Wharf in Cu Chi.

The skyline of Ho Chi Minh City is seen from a boat traveling on the Saigon River in this undated file photo. Photo: Quang Dinh / Tuoi Tre

An aerial view of a section of the Saigon River passing through Binh Thanh District in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam is seen in this undated file photo. Photo: Quang Dinh / Tuoi Tre

The Vinhomes Central Park urban area in Binh Thanh District, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam is seen from a boat traveling on the Saigon River in this undated file photo. Photo: Quang Dinh / Tuoi Tre

Two express boats — the GreenlinesDP K7 which is capable of carrying 96 passengers and running at a speed of 46.5 kilometers per hour and the GreenlinesDP C9 with a capacity of 150 passengers — and a pleasure boat will be employed for the new service.

The boats will be equipped with modern amenities, including wi-fi and electrical outlets, while water and snacks will be served free of charge during the trips.

Tickets for a full trip from Bach Dang Wharf to Cu Chi or vice versa are priced at VND220,000 (US$9.45) apiece.

Passengers traveling only half the distance between Bach Dang and Binh Duong or between Binh Duong and Cu Chi only need to pay VND120,000 ($5.15) and VND150,000 ($6.45) for a ticket, respectively.

A section of the Saigon River in southern Vietnam is pictured in this undated file photo. Photo: Quang Dinh / Tuoi Tre

A view of Thuan An City in Binh Duong Province, Vietnam is seen from a boat traveling on the Saigon River in this undated file photo. Photo: Quang Dinh / Tuoi Tre

A boat carrying vases is pictured on a section of the Saigon River in southern Vietnam in this undated file photo. Photo: Quang Dinh / Tuoi Tre

An aerial view of Ben Duoc Wharf, the last stop in a new express boat link connecting Ho Chi Minh City’s District 1 and Cu Chi District to be put in service in July 2020, is seen in this undated file photo. Photo: Quang Dinh / Tuoi Tre

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