The HCMC Department of Transport has rolled out 24-hour hotlines to receive and respond to complaints on infrastructure, transportation and traffic safety incidents during the upcoming Lunar New Year, or Tet, VietnamPlus news site reported, citing Deputy Director of the department Tran Quang Lam on January 22.

Traffic police patrol a street in HCMC 

Lam said that residents can report unreasonable fares for coach tickets or complaints over unsafe vehicles through the hotlines, 02838300701 and 0913880906, which are run by the inspection team under the department.

In addition, the hotline 0388247247, run by the Saigon River Tunnel Management Center, will be available during the Tet holiday to receive complaints and information related to infrastructure and traffic safety.

Lam said that the city would mobilize a sufficient number of coaches to meet the travel demand from residents during the Tet holiday and strictly penalize transport firms involved in price gouging.

As of January 14, the municipal Department of Transport received 27 reports on the upward adjustment of Tet ticket prices due to the high costs of fuel, workers and tollgate fees. The price was revised up from 13% to 58%.

In addition, the inspection team of the department will collaborate with the municipal traffic police to supervise transport activities and handle violations related to passenger transport by car in the city. If coaches carry an excessive number of passengers, add sub-seats to the vehicle or transport large volumes of cargo, they will face harsh penalties.

Further, inspections of terminals of Tan Son Nhat International Airport, train stations and interprovincial coach stations such as Mien Dong Coach Station, Mien Tay Coach Station and An Suong Bus Station will be required to promptly address violations of regulations on traffic security, safety and technical standards, among other things.

Earlier, the HCMC Public Traffic Management Center deployed a plan to raise the number of coaches at stations and increase the number of bus trips to serve passengers during the Tet holiday.

SGT