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Before the Lunar New Year, an annual holiday, is a time when people have higher demand for returning home. The Department of Transportation has implemented a plan to ensure smooth and safe passenger transportation without any congestion. The relevant units have concentrated on effectively managing fares and firmly addressing issues such as illegal bus stations, unauthorized vehicles, and incorrect ticket pricing in order to provide a joyful journey for people and workers to reunite with their families during the Tet holiday.

Adequate servicing vehicles

Mr. Nguyen Chi Hieu, Deputy Director of the Department of Transport, stated that in order to sell tickets at the prescribed price, the province has established an inter-agency inspection team consisting of transport, finance, and police authorities. The team is tasked with inspecting the provision of transportation services to meet the needs of the people, ensuring order and traffic safety during the Lunar New Year and the Spring Festival in 2024 in the province.

The Ministry of Transport also requires bus transport companies to develop enhanced bus schedules during the Lunar New Year holiday, with specific plans to increase trips during peak hours. They must also prepare sufficient manpower and vehicles to carry out passenger evacuation orders when necessary, and adhere to proper traffic safety procedures and handle vehicle entry and exit at terminals.

Binh Duong Station is ready with vehicles servicing passenger transportation during Tet

Mr. Huynh Van Trong, Director of Binh Duong Bus Station, stated that the expected service time for the Lunar New Year holiday is 20 days (10 days before and 10 days after the holiday). It is anticipated that the demand for bus travel during the holiday will increase compared to previous years due to the tendency of other modes of transportation to raise ticket prices. "The Lunar New Year holiday begins on the 29th day of the twelfth lunar month (February 8, 2024 in the Gregorian calendar), but according to the tradition, people usually have a desire to return to their hometowns and gather with their families earlier during the holiday." Therefore, the forecasted increase in the number of customers will mainly focus on the days from the 22nd to the end of the 29th of January (from the 1st to the 8th of February 2024), potentially rising by 20-30% compared to regular days, said Mr. Huynh Van Trong.

According to Mr. Huynh Van Trong, Binh Duong Bus Station, in collaboration with several transportation units, is organizing advance ticket sales on certain routes with a sudden increase in demand, such as Quang Ngai, Phu Yen, Ninh Thuan, and Can Tho. At the same time, it is recommended that the units comply with the prescribed fare rates and encourage not to adjust or increase fares during the Tet serving period. In the event that transport units need to adjust and increase fares to ensure sufficient costs, the increase should not exceed 40% for routes in the Western region, and not exceed 60% for routes in the Central and Northern regions.

“We will monitor the passenger flow and transportation vehicles on each route in order to adjust our plans and focus on serving key routes, avoiding congestion and passenger buildup, and ensuring traffic safety procedures are followed. At the same time, we recommend that the Department of Transportation issue "Additional vehicles for Tet holiday passenger" permits to facilitate the smooth operation of vehicles and receive support from relevant authorities. In order to ensure the best service for passengers, it is recommended that bus operators with routes starting and ending at Binh Duong Bus Station increase the frequency and operating hours,” said Mr. Huynh Van Trong.

Bus fares stay put

Mr. Doan Trong Tuan, Deputy Director of Phuong Trinh Joint Stock Company, stated that the plan to serve passengers during the Lunar New Year and the Spring Festival in 2024 for the 4 bus routes managed by the company will not increase ticket prices compared to regular days.

Specifically, the fare for the Mien Dong Bus Station route is VND 15,000 per trip for distances less than or equal to half of the total distance, and VND 30,000 for distances greater than half of the total distance up to the end of the route. The Bình Duong - Dau Tieng Bus Station route has variable fares depending on the distance of VND 15,000-30,000-40,000 and the highest fare being VND 50,000 per trip. To ensure the safety of passengers, 29 vehicles have undergone inspection, installed with surveillance cameras, and undergone technical maintenance for safety.

Meanwhile, Mr. Nguyen Trung Doan, Director of Phuc Gia Khang Co., Ltd. Branch, stated that during the Lunar New Year 2024, the unit is expected to operate at only 50% capacity for the Binh Duong - Dong Xoai route (Binh Phuoc province). Currently, the unit has 25 vehicles running on the Dong Xoai route, but due to low passenger volume, about 12-13 vehicles have been deployed to serve passengers in recent times, while the remaining vehicles are kept in reserve and ready to be increased when passenger numbers surge.

Mr. Nguyen Trung Doan also proposed that relevant authorities should strengthen inspections and take action against the issue of illegal bus stations and taxis operating on the same routes competing for passengers. As for the fare on the Binh Duong - Dong Xoai route during the Tet holiday, it will increase from 60,000 dong to 70,000 dong, in accordance with the approved transportation fare set by the Department of Transport. However, due to low passenger numbers on regular days, the fare will still be maintained at 60,000 dong for passengers traveling the entire distance.

Reported by Minh Duy – Translated by Vi Bao