50 VinBus electric buses enter free school transport service in northeastern Vietnam

Quảng Ninh province in northeastern Vietnam has launched a free electric school bus programme with 50 VinFast vehicles operating across six main routes.

The service covers Hạ Long, Hồng Gai and Hà Tu, in the Hạ Long urban area of Quảng Ninh, and is being introduced for the 2026-2027 school year, according to information released by the local authorities. Operations are scheduled to officially begin on 5 September 2026.

According to Quảng Ninh authorities, it is the first locality in Vietnam to introduce a free electric bus programme specifically dedicated to transporting students to and from school.

As of 19 August, 1,728 students attending 14 schools across the three areas had registered for the service.

The deployment expands VinBus operations in Vietnam. Established by Vingroup in 2019, VinBus operates electric buses manufactured by fellow group company VinFast. By May 2026, around 2,000 VinFast e-buses were operating in Vietnam, including around 600 directly operated by VinBus. VinFast is also targeting Europe with the EB 8 and EB 12, developed at its Hai Phong manufacturing complex, with the 12-metre EB 12 already homologated for the European market.

50 VinBus electric school buses across six routes in Quảng Ninh

The 50 electric buses will operate on six main routes serving schools in Hạ Long, Hồng Gai and Hà Tu. Services will generally run from Monday to Friday, with some routes also scheduled to operate on Saturdays.

The programme follows a resolution approved on 25 August 2026 during the seventh session of the 15th Quảng Ninh Provincial People’s Council. The resolution established full fare support for students attending general education institutions in the three areas during the 2026-2027 school year.

In brief

• Where is the new electric school bus service?
  It serves Hạ Long, Hồng Gai and Hà Tu in Quảng Ninh province, northeastern Vietnam.
• How many electric buses are being deployed?
  The programme comprises 50 electric buses operating across six main routes.
• Who operates the buses?
  The service is operated by VinBus, the Vingroup public transport operator using VinFast-built electric buses.
• How many students have registered?
  As of 19 August 2026, 1,728 students from 14 schools had registered.

Eligible students using the service therefore receive a 100% fare subsidy. According to Quảng Ninh authorities, funding is provided from the state budget through the transport service provider.

The project adds a dedicated school transport application to VinBus’s existing electric bus activities in Vietnam.