Bus tickets increased by 60% but still welcomed 1.2 million passengers during Tet

TPO - Bus tickets increased by up to 60% during the Lunar New Year, but the number of passengers passing through 5 bus stations in Ho Chi Minh City is expected to reach 1.2 million, up 4% over the same period.

TPO - Bus tickets increased by up to 60% during the Lunar New Year, but the number of passengers passing through 5 bus stations in Ho Chi Minh City is expected to reach 1.2 million, up 4% over the same period.

Bus tickets can double

On the afternoon of December 26, at a regular press conference on the socio-economic situation, Mr. Nguyen Xuan Dien - Deputy Chief of Office of Saigon Transport Mechanical Corporation (SAMCO) shared a lot of information about the plan to serve passengers during the Lunar New Year this year.

According to Mr. Dien, SAMCO manages 5 bus stations, including: Mien Tay, Mien Dong, Nga Tu Ga, Mien Dong Moi and An Suong. It is expected that the above bus stations will serve more than 1.2 million passengers with 65,000 departures. Peak time lasts from December 20 to January 10.

Mr. Nguyen Xuan Dien - Deputy Chief of Office of Saigon Transport Mechanical Corporation (SAMCO) answered at the press conference. Photo: Anh Nhan

"This year, the number of passengers increased by 4% and the number of vehicles departing increased by 4% compared to the same period. People can buy tickets at the station or buy from online applications. Passengers should proactively buy tickets early to avoid shortages leading to not being able to choose the desired vehicle," Mr. Dien advised.

There will be a bus to transfer passengers to the largest bus station in Ho Chi Minh City

The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Transport has just requested the Ho Chi Minh City Police, Thu Duc City People's Committee and districts to support passenger bus operations in implementing a plan to transfer passengers to and from the new Mien Dong Bus Station (Thu Duc City).

According to the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Transport, passenger transfer activities will be implemented from the beginning of January 2025. Transport vehicles are granted contract vehicle badges, with a capacity of 29 seats or less, with the content "Passenger transfer vehicle to and from the new Eastern Bus Station" written on both sides of the vehicle.

Explaining the reason for the 40% increase in bus fares for short routes and 60% for long routes, Mr. Dien said that the price increase has been going on for decades. This is to offset the cost of empty buses returning from the localities to Ho Chi Minh City.

SAMCO said it will coordinate with relevant agencies to ensure security, order, environmental sanitation, fire prevention, and traffic safety during peak times. "The buses will depart until New Year's Eve to serve the needs of passengers," said Mr. Dien.

What to do to avoid flight delays

Regarding the aviation sector, Mr. Tran Van Hoach - Head of Aviation Service Quality Control Department, Southern Airport Authority, said that the peak time for receiving passengers in the aviation industry starts from December 26 to January 7. It is expected that Tan Son Nhat airport will have 820 flights per day with about 130,000 passengers.

Mr. Tran Van Hoach - Head of Aviation Service Quality Supervision Department, Southern Airports Authority answered at the press conference. Photo: Anh Nhan

According to Mr. Hoach, this year, the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam has increased the slot coordination parameters at Tan Son Nhat International Airport. Specifically, from January 21, 2025 to February 9, 2025, the number of flights taking off and landing will be increased to 48 flights/hour during the day and 46 flights/hour at night.

"Airlines and ground service units at Tan Son Nhat International Airport have increased personnel, equipment and facilities to best ensure passenger travel needs and promptly handle arising situations," said Mr. Hoach.

The representative of the Southern Airport Authority recommends that passengers carefully check their identification documents and flight-related information to proactively arrive at the airport at the most reasonable time, avoiding flight delays.

"People need to limit the number of people coming to pick them up and drop them off to avoid overcrowding at the airport. Sometimes, if one person arrives/departs and 3-4 people pick them up/drop them off, the airport will be very crowded," Mr. Hoach emphasized.

No shortage of goods, high prices

Businesses have proactively prepared goods to serve market demand during Tet.

Also at the press conference on the socio-economic situation, Mr. Nguyen Minh Hung, Deputy Head of the Trade Management Department, Ho Chi Minh City Department of Industry and Trade, said that the city is developing production and supply plans to avoid shortages, disruptions in goods sources or backlogs of goods, while strengthening measures to support businesses, connecting supply and demand of goods, connecting banks and businesses, and supporting businesses in stockpiling and preparing goods for Tet.

According to Mr. Hung, key enterprises participating in the Market Stabilization Program have prepared capital of more than 22,000 billion VND, of which more than 8,000 billion VND is to prepare essential food and foodstuffs to serve the Tet market.

The city is implementing a market stabilization program to prevent speculation and price inflation.

The output of essential goods is expected to account for 25% to 43% of the market share; on average, each month during Tet, it is expected to supply 8,300 tons of rice, 5,000 tons of livestock meat, 5,500 tons of poultry meat, 23 million poultry eggs, 1,400 tons of sugar, 1,100 tons of cooking oil, 800 tons of processed foods, 10,000 tons of vegetables and fruits, 200 tons of seafood, etc. At the same time, businesses are always ready with plans to increase output when necessary and organize mobile sales to handle unusual fluctuations and local shortages.

Regarding goods distribution activities, Mr. Hung said that the Department of Industry and Trade will coordinate with the People's Committees of districts, towns, and Thu Duc city to deploy many solutions, urge wholesale markets, traditional markets, supermarket systems, and convenience stores to focus on monitoring and grasping the market, estimating demand, preparing supply sources, closely following the price situation of goods at the source, strictly implementing regulations on price listing, trading goods with clear origin, ensuring food safety.

Prices of market stabilization products will not be adjusted up during Tet

"To ensure the supply of goods in the days leading up to Tet, supermarket and convenience store systems will increase staff, increase service capacity, and extend operating hours. We are determined not to let empty shelves or congestion of customers shopping for Tet occur. At the same time, to reduce the pressure of people shopping and stockpiling before Tet, most distribution systems plan to open almost throughout Tet, only closing on the first day of the Lunar New Year," said Mr. Hung.

Regarding prices, the representative of the Department of Industry and Trade said that the market stabilization products are always maintained at least 5% lower than the average market price of products of the same specifications, types, and quality. At the same time, the program does not adjust prices up in the month before Tet and the month after Tet.

Van Son - Anh Nhan

Source: https://tienphong.vn/tphcm-ve-xe-khach-tang-toi-60-nhung-van-don-12-trieu-luot-khach-dip-tet-post1704316.tpo