In the days leading up to the Lunar New Year, the passenger transport market enters its peak when travel demand increases sharply. At many bus stations in Hanoi, bus tickets to distant provinces are scarce, many routes only have a few empty seats, even running out of tickets early at convenient hours. Ticket prices on some routes have also increased compared to normal days, making going home for Tet a concern for many people, especially students.
In that context, the University of Social Sciences and Humanities - Vietnam National University, Hanoi has implemented the "0-dong bus trip" program for students from afar to return to their hometowns for free.
According to information from the organizers, this year's program arranges 6 bus trips, taking 132 students to northern mountainous provinces such as Lang Son, Cao Bang, Thai Nguyen, Son La, Lai Chau, Lao Cai, Dien Bien and the North Central region including Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Quang Tri. Bus trips are organized in a concentrated form, departing early in the morning to limit traffic congestion during peak days before Tet.
Waiting to get on the bus to Thanh Hoa, Hoang Lan Phuong, a first-year student, said that if she buys tickets herself, each time she returns to her hometown, she usually has to spend about 250,000 VND/trip. "In the days leading up to Tet, booking tickets is very difficult, many bus routes run out of seats early. For first-year students like me, travel expenses are also a pressure," Lan Phuong shared. The female student believes that the 0-dong bus trip helps students feel more secure when returning to their hometown at the right time, without having to worry about finding tickets or incurring additional costs.
Also participating in the program, Le Ngoc Hau, a first-year student, said that he had difficulty finding tickets home because many bus routes were fully booked. "Being able to take the bus organized by the school helps me not have to worry about ticket prices or seating, especially during peak days near Tet," Hau said.
In addition, the school also prepares breakfast for students before departure time, and at the same time mobilizes volunteer students to support the organization work, ensuring the safe departure process.
Talking to Lao Dong newspaper, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pham Hong Son, Vice Rector of the school, said that the biggest difficulty for students during Tet is not only ticket money:
For students, going home for Tet is not necessarily the most difficult in terms of cost, but finding a bus with guaranteed seats, suitable time and safe service. The school hopes that through these bus trips, it can encapsulate the feelings of teachers and students throughout the school to share difficulties with students.
According to Mr. Son, many students of the school come from distant provinces, many difficult areas, border areas, mountainous areas, including students from policy families and ethnic minority students. The idea of organizing a free bus trip was put forward many years ago, but due to limitations in funding sources and spending mechanisms, the implementation encountered many obstacles.
This year, thanks to the companionship of organizations, businesses, philanthropists and the contributions of officials, lecturers and the active support of volunteer students, the new program can be implemented with buses taking students home.
If we continue to receive financial support, we hope to be able to maintain and gradually expand the program, to support more students during the Tet seasons, so that Nhan Van University always preserves and promotes the spirit of humanity," teacher Son emphasized.
