HCMC’s 1st metro line plans $7-mln upgrade of fare collection system

The HCMC Management Authority for Urban Railways (MAUR) said in a proposal to the city Department of Transport Wednesday that the upgrade would enable passengers to buy tickets using credit cards, e-wallets and QR codes.

The current AFC was designed 12 years ago when the line was first planned and scheduled to become operational in 2018, and now has “limitations,” it said.

It would not allow passengers to pay with credit cards or e-wallets or link with other public transport services such as buses and the bus rapid transit system.

MAUR plans a VND159-billion ($7 million) upgrade.

The work would be done separately and not affect the progress of the line besides operating independently of the existing system, it said.

It is expected to take two years to complete, it said.

HCMC’s first metro line, whose construction started in 2012, is set to cost over VND43.7 trillion ($1.89 billion) when completed at the end of 2023. It is now 89 percent complete.

It will run around 20 kilometers from near Ben Thanh Market in District 1 to Long Binh Depot in Thu Duc, have three underground stations and 11 on the surface.