The bus carries so many memories.

( Quang Ngai Newspaper) - The first automobiles imported into Central Vietnam at the beginning of the 20th century were convertibles with low chassis, only able to carry 1-2 people. After that, many types of automobiles were introduced. Among them, there is a special type of car that has left a deep mark on the memories of the people of Quang Ngai: the "D-Non" car. These were passenger buses carrying countless memories from the previous century.

A "donor" bus running the Quang Ngai - Tam Ky - Da Nang route in 1972. PHOTO: Bettman Corbis

In the 1950s and 60s, the most common type of bus was the French-made "Renauld Goélette," a model similar to the Peugeot. Phi Long Tien Luc company used this type of bus on routes between Quang Ngai, Quy Nhon, Da Nang, and the Central Highlands provinces. Although it was the same type of bus, each province had a different paint scheme. In Quang Ngai, the upper part was light red, and the lower part white. In Quang Nam , the upper part was red, and the lower part yellow. Therefore, passengers could identify the province, route, destination, and stop by looking at the bus's color. The color also evoked memories of home, making passengers want to take the bus back to ease their homesickness. As time went further into the past, images of such buses became increasingly rare.

In the old days, passengers on the old "D-Non" bus had a humorous saying that's become legendary: "Traveling on the 'D-Non' bus is so tiring, I feel like throwing up." Every trip, every journey, was always inconvenient. After a few kilometers, the bus conductor would stop to pick up and drop off passengers; after a few more kilometers, they'd refill the engine; after a few more kilometers, they'd stop again for repairs. Sometimes, passengers had to work together with the conductor to push the bus and get the engine running. It was a constant struggle to get to their destination. Even so, it remains a cherished memory for many.

Fortunately, Bettman Corbis's collection of photographs, taken in 1972, captured the moment a "donor" bus stopped in Thang Binh district (formerly Quang Tin province) to pick up passengers and load goods. The bus was painted red and white, with the route Quang Ngai - Tam Ky - Da Nang clearly marked on its side. Inside, passengers sat crammed together, a woman clinging to the back, and the roof was loaded with various goods such as baskets, containers, cabinets, tables, and several bicycles. The goods on the roof belonged to passengers traveling between Quang Ngai, Tam Ky, Da Nang, and vice versa. Many of the passengers were likely students studying far from home, such as high school and university students in Quy Nhon, Da Nang, and Hue.

In the late 1980s, passenger transport within provinces, especially short distances, was usually by bus. During the subsidy period, due to fuel shortages, these buses were often fitted with additional coal-fired engines. They had rocket-shaped containers at the back, hence the name "rocket buses." Each bump caused coal to spill everywhere. When going uphill, the bus conductor had to run alongside the bus, tapping the coal containers to keep the fire burning and to wedge the containers under the wheels if the bus stalled. The drivers and conductors were covered in road dust and coal dust. They were neat and clean on the way there, but their clothes and faces were blackened on the way back...

Back then, the demand for transportation was huge, but there weren't many dedicated vehicles, so cars carried both people and goods. Cars were often loaded with goods on the roof, people clung to the back, and some even sat on the hood. On busy days, nearly a dozen people would be perched on the pedals at the back of the car. In the 1980s, there was only one trip a day to the mountainous districts. From the familiar "D-Non" car frame, they modified and converted it into a standard 3-axle vehicle to carry passengers.

"Dorning buses" were a type of "medium-sized" vehicle, only running on inter-provincial routes of a few hundred kilometers. For longer inter-provincial routes, there were buses and larger vehicles, which were longer and wider, carrying more passengers. These "donning buses" on National Highway 1 were once familiar and closely associated with the lives of people in Quang Nam province. They also traveled to mountainous and plateau regions for trade, connecting the lowlands with the highlands. Old archival photos of these "donning buses" evoke unforgettable memories of a bygone era. For those living abroad, the shape, color, and license plates of the buses always bring back memories of home. And for those who lived through the subsidy period, looking back at these old images of those buses filled with memories evokes a poignant, indescribable emotion, a feeling of hardship from a bygone era...

TAN VINH

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