Bus transport capacity will be adjusted during a 21-day period for the New Year and Tết (Lunar New Year) holiday, according to HCM City’s Public Transport Management Centre.
Bus trips will increase on January 1 (one day) and from January 15 to February 3 (20 days).
Trần Chí Trung, director of the centre, said most buses would run only a half day on January 24, stopping at 12pm.
Five bus routes, however, will run on January 24 the entire day: No.1 Bến Thành-Chợ Lớn Bus Station, No.20 Bến Thành-Nhà Bè, No.65 Bến Thành-An Sương Bus Station, No.74 An Sương Bus Station-Củ Chi Bus Station, and No.90 Bình Khánh ferry-Cần Thạnh.
On January 25, buses will run from 8am to 5pm instead of the usual schedule from 5am to 7pm.
On January 1, more trips will be scheduled for Bus No.61-3 from An Sương Bus Station to Thủ Dầu Một Bus Station in Bình Dương Province and Bus No.61-8 from Miền Tây Coach Station to Đại Nam tourism complex in Bình Dương Province.
Meanwhile, the number of trips for 25 bus routes which mainly serve students will be reduced on January 1.
The number of students riding buses is expected to fall by 86 per cent during the holidays.
As many as 97 subsidised bus routes and 13 non-subsidised bus routes will have a lower number of trips during the period. Of these, trips of eight bus routes linking universities may stop or be adjusted for a few days.
However, the centre will schedule more trips for bus routes connecting parks and entertainment areas in the city.
In addition, 30-seat buses may be used on inter-provincial coach routes if overloading occurs during the period.
Higher coach fares
Miền Tây and Miền Đông coach stations said fares would not increase on January 1 but prices during the Tết holiday will go up by 60 per cent over regular fares.
The Miền Đông Coach Station will charge 20-60 per cent more for coach fares, depending on the route.
Tickets for the holiday will be sold at the station and on online booking sites between 5am and 7pm daily from December 25 to January 20.
The number of passengers at the Miền Đông Coach Station is expected to increase by 2 per cent during the holiday compared to last year, to 65,000 on a peak day, a representative of the station said.
The peak period will run from January 16-23, with the busiest day on January 22.
Coach fares at the Miền Tây Coach Station will be 40-60 per cent higher than normal fares. The station will sell tickets for Tết from January 4-19.
Source: VNS