VietNamNet Bridge – Ha Noi’s People’s Committee has asked the management boards of coach stations to ensure that tickets are not illegally overpriced during the National Independence holiday, from September 2 to 4.

My Dinh coach station in Ha Noi. - VNA/VNS Photo

Nguyen Anh Toan, director of Ha Noi Bus Station Company, said the company has proposed to the municipal transport department that 300 bus badges be added during the holiday.

Dao Viet Long, head of transport management division of Ha Noi’s Department of Transport, said no coach operators have asked for a hike in ticket prices so far.

Tran Dang Hai, chief inspector of the department, told the Giao Thong (Transport) newspaper that the department has mobilised inspection teams at My Dinh, Nuoc Ngam and Giap Bat coach stations for tighter checks before and after the holiday. The entire department force will be on duty at traffic congestion spots to manage traffic flow, he added.

In HCM City, the municipal transport department has set up mobile teams to manage traffic flow at traffic hot spots around Tan Son Nhat Airport, Cat Lai Port and the An Phu crossroad leading to the HCM City-Long Thanh-Dau Giay expressway.

Tran Quoc Khanh, chief inspector of HCM City’s Department of Transport, said the unit would step up supervision at pick-up and drop-off points in the inner city, especially along highway routes from coach stations to other provinces.

Kieu Nam Thanh, general director of the eastern coach station in HCM City, said the number of passengers is estimated to reach 40,300 on the peak day, September 1. “People will mostly take short routes. The coach station has worked with transport agencies to mobilise 100 additional coaches,” he said.

The southern city’s western coach station expects to see 54,000 to 56,000 passengers each day during the holidays. The station management board has asked for 30 additional buses to deal with the demand.

Railway tickets still available

To better serve commuter demand, the Viet Nam Railway Corporation will run 26 additional trains.

Pham Thi Anh Dao, director of Ha Noi Railway Transport Business Centre, said the Ha Noi railway sector would add 14 trains. In all, it will run around 120 trains with a capacity of 90,000 seats. She expects that the number of commuters will not be too high, and that most would be people whose hometowns are a short distance away. Train tickets are still largely available, though seats on the Ha Noi-Lao Cai route are almost full with tourists heading to Sa Pa Town.

In the south, the Sai Gon railway company has added 12 trains and all trains are almost fully booked, especially trains to Nha Trang and Phan Thiet.

Ticket prices are slightly higher for routes with a high number of passengers, and 20 per cent lower for routes with fewer passengers.

In Da Nang City, train tickets will cost 15 to 20 per cent more depending on the seat type.

Meanwhile, airlines do not plan to increase the number of flights for the holiday. 

VNS