Train and bus ticket prices increase sharply, pressure weighs heavily on workers
The 9-day Binh Ngo Lunar New Year 2026 holiday opens up opportunities for more than 8,000 workers in Tam Thang Industrial Park (Ban Thach ward, Da Nang city). However, the biggest story of workers these days is not how much Tet bonus, but whether they have enough money to buy tickets home or not.
Mr. Tran Van Hoa (39 years old, technical worker at a garment company in Tam Thang Industrial Park) said that his family decided to buy air tickets to Nghe An almost a month earlier than every year, right when the 9-day Tet holiday schedule was announced. Despite being proactive, the total cost of round-trip tickets for 3 people still exceeded 15 million VND.
The ticket price is almost equal to three months of rent. But for a whole year, the couple worked shifts, children were sent to grandparents, 6 months without seeing their parents, not returning for Tet, it's very pitiful," Mr. Hoa said.
According to statistics from the Trade Union of Tam Thang Industrial Park area, more than 8,000 workers will leave Da Nang for the Central, Northern and Central Highlands provinces during the Binh Ngo Tet. Most of them are young workers, earning from 7-10 million VND/month, very sensitive to ticket price fluctuations.
Right from October 2025, many flights have reached a occupancy rate of 80 - 90% after the Tet holiday schedule was announced. Peak round-trip ticket prices increased by 700,000 VND to more than 1.5 million VND/ticket, with some routes almost double the normal day.
On "hot" flights such as Ho Chi Minh City - Da Nang, Ho Chi Minh City - Hanoi, one-way ticket prices close to Tet are commonly from 3 - 3.9 million VND. For workers in Tam Thang Industrial Park with families of 3-4 people, travel costs can "consume" the accumulated amount in the year.
Cheaper buses but full of risks
Unable to afford air tickets, Ms. Nguyen Thi Mai (27 years old, electronics worker at Tam Thang Industrial Park) chose a train to Ninh Binh: "Train tickets are still cheaper, but beds on beautiful days are almost gone. Going on hard chairs for more than 12 hours is also acceptable.
Passenger cars are still a popular choice for many workers. However, during Tet, many bus companies announce price increases of over 20%, along with the risk of collecting higher than the listed price, stuffing passengers or selling floating tickets through social networks.
Lawyer Nguyen Thanh Tan (Da Nang Bar Association) said that bus tickets are transportation contracts. When tickets are sold, bus companies are not allowed to arbitrarily increase prices, change trips, or carry more people than prescribed. Violations can be administratively sanctioned, revoked vehicle badges, or even deducted driver's license points.
During Tet, overloading passengers not only violates the law but also poses a very high risk of accidents," lawyer Tan emphasized.
Faced with the pressure of high ticket prices, the Trade Union Management Board of Tam Thang Industrial Park and the Da Nang City Trade Union are implementing many practical support programs such as "Trade Union Tet Car", "Tet Charity Bag", prioritizing workers in difficult circumstances who have not returned to their hometowns for Tet for many years.
Representatives of the Trade Union Management Board of Tam Thang Industrial Park said that it is expected to have at least 2000 free train and bus tickets to support workers, each bus trip not only helps workers save from several hundred thousand to several million VND, but also creates peace of mind and long-term attachment to the business.
Along with that, the government and bus stations in Da Nang are increasing trips, publicizing hotlines, and strictly controlling ticket price listing to limit the situation of "overcharging" during peak times.
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