The number of people at the bus stops is no longer crowded. Since the main passengers are students, public buses are nearly empty as schools and universities close.

Statistics from the Department of Transport show that from January 1 to February 6, there were 492,145 bus trips and 41.4 million passengers, accounting for 99.4% of the same level as last year. However, from February 7 to 13, the figures dropped sharply to 120,271 trips and 8.84 million passengers. The numbers of passengers continued dropping even more in early March.

Bus services are still maintained. Nguyen Nhu Huong, an assistant on the bus, said, "The number of passengers really dropped compared to before the Tet holiday. There are many empty seats during the rush hours."

Passenger Nguyen Nhu Hoan from Cau Giay District said, "I do feel uneasy when using public transport but then many measures have been applied to prevent the outbreak so I become more confident."

All drivers and assistants must wear masks. The buses are cleaned daily and warnings and guidance from the Ministry of Health are put up on the buses.

Some photos of public buses in Hanoi:

Dan Viet/Dtinews

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