Take the tech bus to... metro

Ho Chi Minh City's metro line No. 1 has just been officially put into operation. In addition to public transport connecting to the train station, Ho Chi Minh City residents can easily use 2- or 4-wheeled vehicle services from technology ride-hailing applications to get to the stations.

People are excited to book a ride to the station to experience the metro - Photo: NVCC

In particular, the cooperation between the metro line management unit and the Grab ride-hailing application helps people travel more conveniently and economically.

Excited to experience the metro

When the metro line officially operates from the end of December 2024, the atmosphere at the stations, especially Ben Thanh station, becomes very bustling. Thousands of passengers, including families and young people, eagerly wait to experience the new train line.

Although there were many people, the atmosphere was still very exciting, everyone was happy to be the first to ride on the modern metro train.

Anh Tuan, an IT employee living in District 12, is one of those who decided to take his young son to experience the metro.

To get to Ben Thanh station, Mr. Tuan used the Grab app to call a 4-seater car so he wouldn't have to worry about finding a parking space. He was quite surprised, the app displayed the metro station name quite clearly, not to mention automatically providing a discount code for the ride to help save costs.

Upon arriving at Ben Thanh station, Mr. Tuan and his son quickly boarded the train. The son could not hide his excitement as the train left the station, gliding through the city center at a fast and steady speed.

On the train, Ms. Lan, an office worker living in Thu Duc City (HCMC), shared that combining the metro with Grab services really made her feel satisfied. She didn’t have to worry about traffic jams or rain or shine, just opened the ride-hailing app to get to the station.

Grab said that from 4am to 11:30pm from December 23 to December 31, people can use the code METRO1 to get a 20,000 VND discount on trips with destinations or pick-ups at metro stations. Then, in January 2025, this application will continue to accompany metro line 1 with the promotional code METRO1 (20% discount on trips).

Many tech-based car drivers are also benefiting from the sudden increase in the number of customers booking rides to and from metro stations. Hung, a GrabCar driver, is excited that the ride-hailing app has helped him increase his income.

Towards a green, civilized and modern city

According to records, metro system No. 1, with modern and convenient stations, will become an important traffic route to help reduce traffic congestion and environmental pollution.

However, for people to be able to use this system effectively, connecting with other means of transport such as ride-hailing apps, buses, river buses... plays a very important role.

In particular, the combination of Grab and metro helps people easily access public transport without having to worry about transfers.

In particular, Ho Chi Minh City Railway Company No. 1 (HURC1) and Grab have just signed a cooperation agreement. According to Ms. Van Thi Huu Tam, Deputy Director of HURC1, with the support of Grab, people will not only have a fast means of transportation but also be able to take advantage of incentives and discounts to save costs.

According to Ms. Nguyen Hanh Linh, director of Grab Vietnam's transportation department, this cooperation agreement is part of the company's long-term strategy to contribute to building an efficient and sustainable public transport system in major cities of Vietnam.

Mr. Le Van Dat, deputy director of the Institute of Transport Strategy and Development (Ministry of Transport), said that the two sides have a specific plan, aiming at the common goal of providing a seamless travel experience for passengers. Passengers leave home, use a Grab car to go to the train station, take a train to the station near the destination, and then use the Grab service to reach the final destination.

"Such a seamless, harmonious experience can make passengers feel more excited, not only contributing to reducing personal traffic, but also promoting the culture of using public transport, towards a green, civilized and modern city," said Mr. Dat.

The metro line is 19.7km long, with 14 stations. According to the phase 1 plan, metro line 1 operates from 5am to 10pm every day. Each train can carry a maximum of 930 people (including 147 seats and 783 standing places). Travel time from Ben Thanh station to Suoi Tien station takes only about 29 minutes.

Metro Line 1 sets record with over 175,000 riders

Crowds of people waiting to board the metro train at Ben Thanh station, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City - Photo: Quang Dinh

According to Urban Railway Company No. 1, after 7 days of official operation, metro No. 1 has been widely supported by the people. Many people have gradually become accustomed to using the metro to go to work, school... Ben Thanh Station is still a place where many visitors gather to experience it.

Specifically, after 7 days of operation, from December 22 to 28, Metro Line 1 welcomed 707,161 passengers. Of which, the number of passengers on Saturday (December 28) reached a record of more than 175,000 people, higher than the first day of official operation (nearly 150,000 people). Meanwhile, the plan registered with the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Transport was only about 40,000 passengers/day.

Metro Line No. 1 LLC informed that metro line No. 1 is still operating from 5am to 10pm with 9 trains. The average interval between trips is 8-12 minutes, with about 200 trains running each day.

In addition, the number of trains and train intervals can be flexibly adjusted to serve the travel needs of people on metro line 1, especially during holidays and Tet.

The Urban Railway Company No. 1 added that out of the total 14 stations on the route, Ben Thanh underground station always has a large crowd. The company has mobilized the maximum number of staff and volunteers to guide people to have the safest and most comfortable train trip possible.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/len-xe-cong-nghe-toi-metro-20241230100545469.htm