Some 600 new European standard shelters have been built at public bus stops in Hanoi, the Government Portal reported.

This is part of a plan to invest in a synchronous construction project for installing bus stop shelters and billboards in 12 urban districts, aiming to encourage Hanoi’s residents to switch to public transportation usage, thus easing traffic congestion and improving air quality.

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According to the municipal People's Committee, of the 600, 235 shelters will be newly installed, 1,200 advertising boards will be installed at the median strips wider than two meters.

Besides, 25 touch screens will be installed and connected to WiFi for real-time bus tracking, and advertising.

The project will be deployed in 12 urban districts, including Ba Dinh, Hai Ba Trung, Long Bien, Thanh Xuan, Hoan Kiem, Tay Ho, BacTu Liem, Nam Tu Liem, Cau Giay, Hoang Mai, Dong Da and Ha Dong.

The investor will invest 100% of cost of construction, operation, exploitation and maintenance for the whole project within 20 years, under the PPP format.

Currently, suburban bus routes account for 57% of Hanoi’s public transport, playing an essential role in serving inter-city passengers and connecting its peripheral areas with the city’s downtown, according to Hanoi Department of Transport.

There are 71 bus routes operating in outlying districts with more than 2,100 bus stops. Only 23 of them are sheltered, accounting for under 1%, the department said.

The average distance between two stops is 900m while the operating frequency of suburban buses is low, forcing passengers to wait for long time for buses in these areas.

The Hanoi government has been working to expand the city's public transport network as motor vehicle traffic worsens, but progress has been slow.