Commitment to reduce ticket prices by at least 20% and keep them unchanged for 10 years
Mr. Vu Van Khuong - General Director of Phu Quoc High-Speed Ferry Joint Stock Company has just sent a document to Quang Ngai Provincial People's Committee; Ly Son Special Zone People's Committee; Director of Quang Ngai Provincial Department of Construction regarding the application for permission to operate the Sa Ky - Ly Son route and freely sell tickets through its ticket sales system.
Mr. Vu Van Khuong sent a document to competent authorities in Quang Ngai province taking place in the context of businesses exploiting the Sa Ky - Ly Son waterway transport route and vice versa simultaneously increasing ticket prices, with the reason of rising gasoline and oil costs.
According to Mr. Vu Van Khuong, the Company is operating 11 Catamaran passenger ships with a capacity of 231 to 1,017 passengers.
The company once participated in operating the Sa Ky - Ly Son route (opened in July 2023), but then had to temporarily stop from November 2023 until now. The main reason is that the Company cannot freely sell tickets according to the provisions of law but must comply with the regulations of the Port Management Board and the Inland Waterway Port Authority of Quang Ngai province.
Ships participating in operating the Sa Ky - Ly Son route are required to use the Port's ticket sales software and the Port is the sole and exclusive unit allowed to sell tickets for this route.
Recently, the Company received some feedback as well as wishes from people in the Ly Son special zone. Therefore, the Company proposed to operate on the Sa Ky - Ly Son route and to freely sell tickets through its ticket sales system.
In response, in the immediate after the train resumes operation, the Company commits to reducing the ticket price by at least 20% and keeping this ticket price unchanged for about 10 years (similar to what we did for the routes in Kien Giang).
For local people, the Company will annually have a policy of giving away 2 free tickets to go and return. At the same time, the Company also commits to operating daily, except for storms of level 8 or higher.
In case the Port Management Board and the Inland Waterway Port Authority of Quang Ngai province refuse on the grounds of affecting revenue, the Company agrees to lease the two wharves at double the cost to contribute to the State budget. In addition, the Company commits to work with partners to promote the doubling of the number of visitors to the island compared to the same period last year.
Increase competitiveness to better serve the people
Previously, on March 16, leaders of the Quang Ngai Provincial Department of Construction informed that due to rising gasoline prices, passenger transport businesses on the Sa Ky - Ly Son route have increased fares.
According to the newly applied price, the high-speed train ticket from Sa Ky port to Ly Son increased from 207,000 VND to 237,000 VND/ticket. Of which, the transportation ticket price is 210,000 VND, the rest is the price for using the port, station and other amenities. For people and officials living and working in Ly Son, the ticket price is also adjusted to increase from 183,000 VND to 205,000 VND.
However, through review, the Department of Construction found that the ticket price increase was unreasonable. Therefore, the Department of Construction has issued a document requesting businesses to consider adjusting ticket prices down in the most appropriate way.
By March 18, the Port Management Board and the Inland Waterway Port Authority of Quang Ngai said that transport businesses on the Sa Ky - Ly Son sea route had reduced passenger ship ticket prices.
From March 18, train tickets for the Sa Ky - Ly Son route are priced at 227,000 VND/ticket, down 10,000 VND compared to before. Passengers who are Ly Son residents or officials working here are applied a price of 193,000 VND/ticket. Transport businesses also apply a ticket price reduction policy for people with disabilities, the elderly and tour guides.
Although businesses reduced ticket prices and still did not satisfy people, the fact that Phu Quoc High-Speed Ferry Joint Stock Company proposed to operate the Sa Ky - Ly Son route and freely sell tickets using its ticketing system, with many outstanding preferential policies compared to ships operating on the Sa Ky - Ly Son route and vice versa, made Ly Son people very welcome and agree.
Ly Son Special Zone is about 17 nautical miles from the mainland. Currently, there are 4 ships operating passenger transport from the mainland to Ly Son and vice versa.
Talking to a reporter from Lao Dong Newspaper, Mr. Nguyen Van Huy, Chairman of the People's Committee of the Ly Son Special Zone, shared: The Ly Son Special Zone supports the above enterprises to participate in the Sa Ky - Ly Son route. Many operating enterprises will increase competitiveness, bring many benefits to the people, as well as promote tourism development for the Ly Son Special Zone.
