According to the HCM City Department of Transport, bus tickets will be increased by VND1,000 (4 US cents) per ticket.

HCM City has raised bus fare from May 1

For the 15-25km distance, the fare will be VND6,000, VND7,000 for the distance of 25km and over. Trips below 15 kilometres will cost VND5,000.

The fare for students will be VND3,000 per ticket.

The higher bus tickets are hoped to raise the city’s bus revenues by VND92.5 billion annually. This will also help cooperatives and enterprises buy new vehicles and upgrade bus stops and parking lots.

Ho Chi Minh City has provided subsidies of around VND1 trillion (USD43.4 million) for bus transportation per year.

Tran Chi Trung, director of the HCM City Public Passenger Transport Management and Operation Centre, said price prices in HCM City are now lower than those in Hanoi. Before making the proposal, the centre had conducted a survey of some 2,000 bus users and more than 80% of them agreed with the proposal.